The winners of the 2026 Ballon d’Or have been announced
Football’s most prestigious annual award
Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas were the big winners at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony. The English striker took home the men’s award, while the Spanish midfielder won the women’s award for the third time in her career. The ceremony took place in London.
The Bayern Munich forward finished ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, who placed second and third, respectively.
It was a remarkable year for Kane. During the 2025/26 season, he scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country, including 61 goals for Bayern Munich. With the Munich club, he won the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the German Super Cup. Kane also finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer for the third consecutive season.
His World Cup campaign was equally impressive. Kane scored six goals for England and helped lead the team to the semi-finals. England ultimately finished the tournament in third place.
Kane’s victory is also a historic moment for English football. He became the first Englishman in 25 years to win the Ballon d’Or, following Michael Owen’s triumph in 2001. Overall, Kane is the fifth English player to receive the award, after Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen.
It was also the first time in 70 years that the Ballon d’Or ceremony was held in London rather than France. The venue was chosen in honour of Stanley Matthews, the first-ever recipient of the award in 1956.
Kane also claimed the Gerd Müller Trophy, awarded to the year’s best striker. It was the most prolific season of his career.
In women’s football, the top honour went to a Spanish player for the second consecutive year. Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d’Or for the third time, having previously claimed the award in 2021 and 2022. With this victory, she equalled the record for the most wins in the women’s category.
Putellas’ season with Barcelona proved decisive. She won four trophies with the Catalan club, including the UEFA Women’s Champions League. During the European campaign, Alexia scored seven goals and provided seven assists. She was also named the Champions League’s Player of the Season.
In the summer, Putellas left Barcelona to join English club London City Lionesses. However, she received the prestigious individual award for her performances during the season with the Catalan side.
In the voting, Alexia finished ahead of her former Barcelona teammate Ewa Pajor and Khadija Shaw.
Notably, Putellas’ success was part of a memorable evening for Barcelona, which was named Women’s Club of the Year.
For Kane and Putellas, the ceremony marked the culmination of an outstanding season. The English striker finally claimed football’s most prestigious individual honour after years of competing for major titles. Meanwhile, the Spanish star reclaimed the Ballon d’Or, writing her name into the history of women’s football for the third time.
Photos: Instagram @ballondorofficial, @harrykane, @alexiaputellas
