Congratulations to Harry Kane on winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or. It is a tremendous personal achievement, and nobody can deny that he has enjoyed an outstanding season.
But while I am happy to congratulate Kane, I have to be honest: I find it increasingly difficult to take the Ballon d’Or seriously when I look at how Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have been treated in previous years.
As a Liverpool supporter, I know I am going to be accused of being biased. That comes with the territory. But this isn’t simply about wanting a Liverpool player to win every individual award.
It is about looking at the performances of two players who have been absolutely outstanding for Liverpool and wondering how the voting can produce some of the results we have seen.
Mohamed Salah Finishing Fourth in 2025 Still Doesn’t Sit Right With Me
Let’s start with Salah.
Liverpool won the Premier League title in the 2024-25 season, and Salah was one of the biggest reasons why.
He scored 29 Premier League goals and registered 18 assists, finishing top of both charts as Liverpool secured the title. He was named Premier League Player of the Season and collected the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year awards.
Yet when the Ballon d’Or voting was completed, Salah finished fourth.
Fourth!
Ousmane Dembélé won the award, with Lamine Yamal second and Vitinha third. All three had excellent seasons, and I am not suggesting that they were undeserving players to be recognised.
But how does a player who delivers 47 Premier League goal involvements in a title-winning campaign finish outside the top three?
That is the question I still struggle with.
Salah was not simply putting up impressive numbers in a team finishing mid-table. He was delivering goals and assists consistently while helping Liverpool win the biggest domestic prize in English football.
If individual performance and team achievement are both important criteria, I find it difficult to understand why his season wasn’t rewarded with a higher finish.
And Then There Is Virgil van Dijk in 2019
The frustration goes back further.
In 2019, Van Dijk produced one of the finest defensive seasons I have seen from a Liverpool player. He was a major part of the team that won the Champions League and finished just one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League.
He was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year and was widely recognised as one of the best defenders in world football.
Yet he finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting behind Lionel Messi.
Now, Messi is one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, and I am not going to pretend he wasn’t worthy of recognition. His individual numbers were extraordinary.
But Van Dijk’s season was exceptional in its own right. He transformed Liverpool’s defence, brought authority and consistency to the back line and helped the club reach the summit of European football.
For me, he had a genuine case to win the award.
Defenders already face a difficult task when competing with attacking players for individual honours. Goals and assists are easy to highlight, while the work of a centre-back is often judged through clean sheets, positioning, leadership and the chances he prevents.
Van Dijk showed just how valuable a defender can be. I still believe his contribution deserved the ultimate recognition.
Are Goals and Headlines Worth More Than Consistency?
This is where my frustration lies.
The Ballon d’Or is supposed to recognise the best individual player in the world over a season. But it often feels as though the debate becomes dominated by narratives, spectacular moments and the players who attract the most attention.
Of course, goals matter. Creativity matters. Winning trophies matters too.
But what about consistency across an entire campaign? What about carrying a team through difficult matches? What about the player who repeatedly makes the difference when the pressure is at its highest?
Salah’s numbers in 2024-25 were remarkable, while Van Dijk’s influence in 2019 went far beyond the statistics that normally dominate these conversations.
I understand that voting involves personal judgement. Different voters will value different qualities, and there is no perfect formula for comparing a striker with a centre-back.
That is precisely why the final rankings can be so frustrating.
I don’t expect every Liverpool player to win every award. I simply want performances to be judged fairly, regardless of the player’s position, club or reputation.
Congratulations to Kane – But the Questions Remain
Kane deserves congratulations for winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or. His achievement should be recognised, and this article is not intended to take that away from him.
My issue is with the award itself and the way its results are decided.
When I look back at Salah finishing fourth after the season he produced in 2024-25, and Van Dijk coming second despite his extraordinary contribution in 2019, I cannot help questioning how much weight is given to different aspects of the game.
There will always be disagreements over individual awards. That is part of football, and the Ballon d’Or has generated debate for decades.
But when performances of that quality leave supporters asking the same questions year after year, it is understandable that some begin to lose faith in the rankings.
For me, Salah deserved to finish higher in 2025, and Van Dijk had a compelling case to win in 2019.
That is my opinion, and I am happy to stand by it.
My Verdict: The Ballon d’Or Doesn’t Always Tell the Full Story
I will always congratulate players who achieve something as special as winning the Ballon d’Or. Harry Kane has reached the top of the individual honours, and that deserves respect.
But I will not pretend that I agree with every decision simply because it carries the Ballon d’Or name.
Salah’s fourth-place finish and Van Dijk’s second-place finish remain two results that I find difficult to accept, given what both players achieved for Liverpool.
Football is about more than individual trophies. Salah and Van Dijk have helped deliver major honours to Anfield, and their contributions will be remembered by Liverpool supporters regardless of where they finished in a voting list.
Congratulations to Harry Kane – but when Mohamed Salah can produce a season like 2024-25 and finish fourth, I have to question how much credibility these rankings really deserve.
Jamie – (The Kopite View)
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