Harry Kane has been crowned the winner of the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or, cementing his place in football history as the first English player to secure the sport's most prestigious individual honour since Michael Owen in 2001. The 33-year-old forward received the accolade during the 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony, which was held for the first time in the British capital at the London Palladium.
Kane’s victory follows a prolific 2025-26 season where he tallied 73 goals in 65 total appearances for club and country. His contributions included 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern Munich, helping the German side achieve a domestic double. On the international stage, the England captain netted six goals during the 2026 World Cup, leading his team to a third-place finish. In the final voting, Kane finished ahead of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, who placed second, and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who took third. He succeeds Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele, the 2025 winner.
The England striker becomes the fifth player from his nation to earn the award, joining a legendary list that includes Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan, and Michael Owen.
The ceremony also celebrated excellence in women's football, with 32-year-old Alexia Putellas claiming her third Women's Ballon d'Or, matching the record held by her former Barcelona teammate Aitana Bonmati. Putellas, who joined London City Lionesses in July, captained Barcelona to a quadruple in the 2025-26 season, securing Liga F, the Copa de la Reina, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Women's Champions League. Her performance also earned her the Champions League Player of the Season title, and she helped Spain win the Women's Nations League.
Several other honours were distributed throughout the evening. Lamine Yamal secured the Men's Young Talent of the Year for the third consecutive time, while Barcelona forward Vicky Lopez took the women's equivalent award for the second year running. Coaching honours went to Spain’s World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente for the men's game and Barcelona’s Pere Romeu for the women's. Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simon and Barcelona’s Cata Coll were named Goalkeepers of the Year.
In individual striker categories, Kane added the Men's Striker of the Year award to his collection, while Mexican forward Charlyn Corral became the first player from her country to win the Women's Striker of the Year award. Club awards were presented to Paris Saint-Germain for the men's side and Barcelona for the women's. Additionally, Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka was honoured with the Socrates Award for his humanitarian efforts, specifically his work with the charity BigShoe to fund 120 medical operations for children in Kano, Nigeria, starting in 2022.
