Nigeria's Ballon d'Or voter picks Rodri as world's best, but Kane wins award

Nigeria's representative in the 2026 Ballon d'Or voting ranked Manchester City's Rodri as the best player in the world, according to the official breakdown released by France Football on Friday. Nigeria was among 10 countries—including the US, South Korea, and Croatia—whose journalists placed Rodri first on their ballots. The Nigerian voter also ranked PSG's Ousmane Dembélé second.

However, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane won the award with 1,055 points, ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé (1,027) and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal (881). Rodri finished fourth with 726 points.

For Nigerian football followers, this reveals how the country's media perspective aligns with a minority global view—only 10 of 100 voting nations backed Rodri. The result also highlights the growing influence of African journalists in global football awards.

With Kane's win marking the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001, does this shift the conversation about what defines the "best" player—individual brilliance or trophies and consistency?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/10/31/2026-ballon-dor-players-that-nigeria-voted-to-win-award-revealed/