Yamal's reaction and lack of respect from Mbappé and Dembélé: The "Ballon d'Or" of the defeated

Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal did not welcome Harry Kane's victory in the 2026 "Ballon d'Or". Their facial expressions and behavior after the winner was announced showed a disappointment that they could not hide, or perhaps did not even want to hide. 

The 19-year-old Barcelona talent was left frozen in disappointment. He failed to smile later, even when the English striker gave his speech on stage with the trophy in his hands. On the other hand, the Real Madrid Frenchman did not stand up either when the winner was announced or at the end of the ceremony, when Kane himself bent down to hug him.

The footage spread on social media and sparked a debate about how to accept defeat. Ousmane Dembélé was also involved in the discussion, and was also accused of disrespecting the winner.

What happened at the moment of Kane's victory? Yamal and Mbappé were left sitting in the front row

We return to the London Palladium, where this year's "France Football" trophy award ceremony took place, to recall the moment when Ronaldo the Phenomenon pronounced Harry Kane's name as the winner of the 70th edition of the "Ballon d'Or".

Video of the moment shows Yamal and Dembélé's expressions frozen, in contrast to Michael Oliseh, Kane's Bayern Munich teammate, who smiled. For a player who almost never smiles, this reaction was interpreted as a sign of genuine joy.

Kane, visibly moved, stood up and was greeted briefly by Yamal, who remained seated. Meanwhile, Rodri immediately stood up and gave him a warm hug, as did his Bayern teammates Luis Díaz, Lennart Karl and Oliseh.

Dembélé also stood up to greet Kane at that moment. Mbappé, on the other hand, did not move from his chair. It was the Englishman himself who bent down to hug him, before taking the stage to give his speech. When the camera returned to Yamal, his face showed the same disappointment as at the moment of the announcement of the winner.

Mbappé and Dembélé accused of disrespecting Kane

Fans also criticized Mbappé and Dembélé for what happened at the end of the ceremony, when Kane himself approached to greet them as he was leaving the hall. Dembélé was talking on the phone and only shook the Englishman's hand, without getting up from his seat. The situation with Mbappé was considered even more unpleasant by commentators: the Frenchman first turned his head to the other side and then, when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Kane was approaching, he did not stand up either. He was content to accept the greeting of the Englishman, who once again physically bent down to approach his rivals. This time, however, they were ranked behind him in the "Ballon d'Or" classification.

The videos went viral and generated thousands of comments, with Mbappé and Dembélé accused of disrespecting Kane. On the contrary, the Englishman was praised for his class and manners. Mbappé and Yamal will have the chance to try again next year. According to the odds of the betting companies mentioned in the article, they are already considered the two main favorites for the 2027 Ballon d'Or.