Harry Kane was crowned the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner in London on Monday, October 26, 2026, becoming the first Englishman to claim football's most prestigious individual prize since Michael Owen in 2001, Reuters reported.
The England captain beat France forward Kylian Mbappé, who finished second, and Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal, who finished third, at a ceremony at the London Palladium held to mark the award's 70th anniversary, according to multiple reports of the event.
Illustration: Kane's Ballon d'Or crowned a season of extraordinary goalscoring for Bayern Munich and England.
What Happened
France Football, the magazine that awards the Ballon d'Or, presented the prizes on October 26, 2026, with the men's and women's winners headlining an evening of 13 awards, according to USA Today and other reports of the ceremony. Kane, 33, won the men's award for the first time, while Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas won the Women's Ballon d'Or for the third time in her career, after previous victories in 2021 and 2022.
The vote was decided by 100 specialist journalists judging the August 2025 to July 2026 season, according to reports of the voting process. Le Monde reported that France Football editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia described the contest between Kane and Mbappé as extremely close, saying the points gap between the two closest contenders was smaller than the 41-point margin between Rodri and Vinícius Júnior in 2024.
Kane also collected the Gerd Müller Trophy as the season's top striker, while Putellas's former Barcelona coach Pere Romeu was named Women's Coach of the Year and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente was named Men's Coach of the Year, according to the published list of winners.
Background
Kane's case rested on a remarkable scoring record. Reuters reported that he scored 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern Munich across all competitions as the German club completed a domestic league and cup double, and that he led England to the World Cup semi-finals, scoring six goals at the tournament. Other reports of the season put his combined club-and-country total at 73 goals in 65 appearances, a figure that includes his England goals alongside the Bayern tally.
The award ended several long waits at once. Kane became Bayern Munich's first Ballon d'Or winner since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981, and the Bundesliga's first since Matthias Sammer in 1996, according to reports of the ceremony. He is also only the fourth-oldest first-time men's winner in the award's history, according to Sports Mole's live coverage, a reminder that the prize came after years as one of Europe's most consistent scorers rather than as a young prodigy.
The Ballon d'Or was first presented in 1956, when England's Stanley Matthews won the inaugural award, and the London venue was chosen to honour that anniversary, according to reports of the ceremony. Kane's victory therefore closed a circle of sorts: an Englishman winning the 70th edition of an award first won by an Englishman.
Illustration: the 2026 ceremony was held at the London Palladium to mark the award's 70th anniversary.
Why It Matters
For England, the win matters because the country's wait had become a talking point in itself. England has produced some of football's greatest players, yet no Englishman had won the Ballon d'Or since Owen's victory in 2001, a drought spanning a quarter of a century and several generations of talent. Kane's win gives the current England team a reigning Ballon d'Or holder for the first time in a generation, and it validates a career path that took him from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich in search of team trophies.
For the women's game, Putellas's third title underlines Spain's dominance of the award: Spanish players have now won six successive editions of the Women's Ballon d'Or, according to reports of the ceremony. Putellas, now with London City Lionesses after her final season at Barcelona, earned the prize after a campaign that included Champions League success and a Nations League title with Spain, according to those reports.
The wider awards list also told a story about where football's power sits. Spain claimed eight of the 13 awards, according to USA Today, with Barcelona named Women's Club of the Year, Paris Saint-Germain named Men's Club of the Year, and Yamal winning the Kopa Trophy for the best young player for a third consecutive year. Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka won the Socrates Award for his charity work funding operations for children in Nigeria and across Africa, a reminder that the evening also celebrates football's work beyond the pitch.
What Happens Next
Kane returns to Bayern Munich as the game's reigning individual champion, with the Champions League campaign offering the next stage on which to defend that status. The question now is whether a Ballon d'Or winner at 33 can sustain the scoring pace that earned the award, and whether Bayern can convert domestic dominance into European success.
For the runners-up, the race resets. Mbappé, who finished second despite what Le Monde described as an outstanding statistical season, and Yamal, third at a remarkably young age and already a three-time Kopa Trophy winner, will both expect to contend again when voting for the next edition opens. The closeness of this year's vote suggests the coming seasons could produce one of the most competitive stretches in the award's history.
For England, the timing is symbolic as much as sporting. A generation of fans has grown up without seeing an English Ballon d'Or winner; Kane's victory gives them one, and gives the national team a standard-bearer whose individual honour now matches his scoring record.
Illustration: Alexia Putellas won the Women's Ballon d'Or for the third time, after victories in 2021 and 2022.
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FAQ
Who won the 2026 Ballon d'Or?
Harry Kane won the men's Ballon d'Or on October 26, 2026, and Alexia Putellas won the Women's Ballon d'Or for the third time, according to Reuters and reports of the ceremony.
Who finished second and third in the men's vote?
Kylian Mbappé finished second and Lamine Yamal finished third, according to reports of the final rankings, with Rodri reported fourth and Lionel Messi fifth.
Why is Kane's win historic for England?
Kane is the first Englishman to win the men's Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001, ending a 25-year wait, Reuters reported.
What did Kane achieve in the 2025-26 season?
Reuters reported that Kane scored 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern Munich as the club won a league and cup double, and scored six goals as he led England to the World Cup semi-finals. Reports put his combined club-and-country total at 73 goals in 65 appearances.
What other major awards were presented?
Yamal won the men's Kopa Trophy and Vicky López the women's Kopa Trophy; Unai Simón and Cata Coll won the Yashin goalkeeper awards; Kane and Charlyn Corral won the Gerd Müller striker awards; Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona were named clubs of the year; and Bukayo Saka won the Socrates Award, according to the published winners list.
Sources
- Reuters, "England and Bayern forward Kane crowned 2026 Ballon d'Or winner," October 26, 2026 (61 goals in 51 Bayern games; league and cup double; World Cup semi-finals; six tournament goals; first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001).
- Le Monde, "Mbappé misses out on Ballon d'Or again, finishing behind Kane despite PR blitz," October 27, 2026 (ceremony in London on October 26; France Football editor Vincent Garcia on the close vote).
- USA Today, "Ballon d'Or 2026: Kane and Putellas take home night's biggest prizes," October 26, 2026 (full winners list; eight of 13 awards to Spanish players, coaches or clubs).
- Sports Mole, Ballon d'Or 2026 reaction live, October 26-27, 2026 (73-goal combined season; fourth-oldest first-time men's winner; Saka's Socrates Award charity work).
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