English striker Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in London, capturing the most prestigious individual honor in world football after a prolific campaign for both club and country. Spain’s Alexia Putellas claimed the women’s award for the third time in her career.
Harry Kane Claims the 2026 Ballon d’Or in London
The 33-year-old forward secured the Golden Ball at the London Palladium Theatre during the 70th anniversary gala of the award, which began at 21:00 CET on Monday, October 26, 2026. This marked the first time the ceremony was held in London, an event chosen as a tribute to the very first winner, Englishman Stanley Matthews. Kane was involved in 81 goal contributions across 66 appearances during the 2025/26 season. He scored 61 goals for Bayern Munich, leading the German club to a domestic double of the Bundesliga title and the German Cup, while also reaching the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. On the international stage, Kane captained England to a third-place finish at the World Cup, netting six goals as part of a 12-goal haul for the national team.
Accepting the trophy in his home city, Kane reflected on the achievement. I am almost speechless. I can imagine that it was really difficult this year, there are many outstanding players here,
he said. He also delivered a message to young players worldwide: Everything is possible with a lot of hard work. I hope my journey inspires you, as it was not a straightforward path to the top.
Journalists from Top Nations Vote for Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d’Or is awarded by the French football magazine France Football in cooperation with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), following a partnership announced in November 2023 by UEFA and Groupe Amaury, the owner of France Football and L’Équipe. It is decided by a panel of journalists organized by France Football, featuring a committee that selects 30 players for a shortlist, with one journalist from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA men’s rankings and the top 50 in the women’s rankings holding voting rights. Articles about all nominees had been prepared in advance in the event of a victory. The voting window spanned from August 3, 2025, to the World Cup final on July 19, 2026. In the men’s voting, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé finished second, while Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal placed third. Lionel Messi finished fifth, and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland took eighth.
For the women’s award, Putellas reclaimed the honor after Aitana Bonmatí’s three-year run. Putellas led Barcelona to a sweep of the Champions League, league title, and national cup before transferring to the London City Lionesses in England.
Trophies and Honors Across Categories
Before the main prizes were awarded, commercial advertisements were shown, and the Golden Balls were presented on stage inside a large Louis Vuitton trophy accompanied by music. The last English Ballon d’Or winner, Michael Owen, presented the winner and winner of the Golden Ball. Numerous broadcasting partners across Europe and globally showed the ceremony. Lamine Yamal collected the award for best under-21 men’s player for the third time in a row, while Barcelona teammate Vicky Lopez won the Kopa Trophy as the best young women’s player. Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simón earned the award for the men’s best goalkeeper after conceding only one goal during Spain’s run to the World Cup title, and Barcelona’s Cata Coll won the award for the best women’s goalkeeper.
Additional winners included Harry Kane for the award as the men’s top goalscorer, and Charlyn Corral of CF Pachuca for the women’s equivalent. Spain manager Luis de la Fuente won the award for men’s coach of the year, and Paris Saint-Germain was named men’s team of the year following their Champions League triumph. Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka received the Sócrates Award for humanitarian work.
Historical Context for Bayern Munich and English Football
Kane's victory is a milestone for both German and English football. He is the first Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d’Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge defended his title in 1981, joining an elite group of club winners that includes Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller.
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