Harry Kane remporte le Ballon d’Or 2026 tandis que Alexia Putellas remporte son troisième titre

Bayern Munich striker ends England’s 25-year wait for the award, while Barcelona’s influence dominates the women’s honours at a historic ceremony in London.

LONDON, October 26, 2026 — Harry Kane has spent much of his career answering questions about trophies. On Monday night, at the London Palladium, the England captain collected the biggest individual prize in football.

The Bayern Munich striker won the 2026 Ballon d’Or after a season in which he scored 73 goals for club and country, becoming the first Englishman to receive the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

Kane finished ahead of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal in the voting, bringing an end to a 25-year wait for an English winner.

Spain’s Alexia Putellas took the women’s award for the third time, returning to the top of the voting after three consecutive victories by former Barcelona teammate Aitana Bonmatí.

The ceremony marked the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or and was held outside Paris for the first time, a tribute to Stanley Matthews, the English winger who received the inaugural award in 1956.

Kane’s Remarkable Season Earns Football’s Biggest Individual Prize

For years, Kane’s individual performances were measured against the major trophies missing from his career.

That conversation has changed considerably since his move from Tottenham to Bayern Munich.

The 33-year-old scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern during the 2025–26 campaign, helping the German club complete a domestic treble. He also scored 14 times in the Champions League as Bayern reached the semi-finals.

His contribution extended to international football, where he scored another 12 goals for England, including six during the 2026 World Cup.

Kane’s consistency across those competitions gave him a compelling case against a strong field of candidates.

Mbappé finished second after another prolific season with Real Madrid, while Yamal, still one of the youngest players competing at the highest level of European football, placed third.

Manchester City’s Rodri finished fourth and Lionel Messi, the record eight-time winner, completed the top five.

Kane also collected the Gerd Müller Trophy as the leading men’s striker, having previously shared the honour with Mbappé in 2024.

His victory makes him only the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, following Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen.

Mbappé Misses Out as Yamal Continues His Rise

The final voting underlined how competitive the race had become.

Mbappé’s second-place finish represented another near miss for a player who has established himself among the most productive forwards in European football.

Yamal’s third-place ranking, meanwhile, provided another indication of his extraordinary progress.

The Barcelona winger has moved from being regarded as an emerging talent to becoming a serious contender for the sport’s highest individual award.

Although he missed out on the Ballon d’Or, Yamal received the men’s Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year.

His presence on the podium alongside Kane and Mbappé also offered an interesting contrast: two established goalscorers at the peak of their careers and a young player whose influence continues to grow.

Putellas Returns to the Summit of Women’s Football

Alexia Putellas’ third Ballon d’Or was arguably one of the evening’s most significant achievements.

The Spanish midfielder previously won the award in 2021 and 2022 before serious injury interrupted her career and Bonmatí emerged as the dominant figure in the women’s game.

This time, Putellas returned to the top after playing a central role in Barcelona’s European success.

She scored seven goals and provided seven assists during the club’s victorious Women’s Champions League campaign, earning the competition’s Player of the Season award.

Putellas also contributed to Spain’s triumph in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Nations League.

The 32-year-old, who joined London City Lionesses ahead of the current season, finished ahead of Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor and Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw.

Her third victory places her alongside Bonmatí as the joint most successful player in the history of the women’s Ballon d’Or.

It also marks an impressive return for a footballer whose career has demanded considerable resilience since her serious knee injury in 2022.

Barcelona’s Women’s Team Collects Further Recognition

Putellas was not the only player associated with Barcelona to be recognised in London.

The Catalan club was named Women’s Club of the Year following another highly successful campaign.

Head coach Pere Romeu received the women’s Johan Cruyff Trophy after guiding Barcelona to four trophies during the 2025–26 season.

Vicky López collected the women’s Kopa Trophy, while goalkeeper Cata Coll received the Yashin Trophy after recording 23 clean sheets in 39 appearances for Barcelona and Spain.

The awards reflected the depth of Barcelona’s squad and the club’s continued ability to develop players capable of competing at the highest level.

Spain and PSG Among the Other Winners

Spain national team manager Luis de la Fuente was named Men’s Coach of the Year, receiving the Johan Cruyff Trophy.

Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simón won the men’s Yashin Trophy, while Paris Saint-Germain was named Men’s Club of the Year for the second successive season.

Mexican forward Charlyn Corral, who plays for Pachuca, received the women’s Gerd Müller Trophy.

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka was also recognised, receiving the Sócrates Award for his humanitarian work and initiatives supporting young people through football.

Ballon d’Or 2026: Main Award Winners

Award	Winner
Men’s Ballon d’Or	Harry Kane
Women’s Ballon d’Or	Alexia Putellas
Men’s Kopa Trophy	Lamine Yamal
Women’s Kopa Trophy	Vicky López
Men’s Yashin Trophy	Unai Simón
Women’s Yashin Trophy	Cata Coll
Men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy	Luis de la Fuente
Women’s Johan Cruyff Trophy	Pere Romeu
Men’s Gerd Müller Trophy	Harry Kane
Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy	Charlyn Corral
Men’s Club of the Year	Paris Saint-Germain
Women’s Club of the Year	Barcelona
Sócrates Award	Bukayo Saka

A Different Ending to Kane’s Story

The Ballon d’Or has often favoured players whose individual brilliance was accompanied by major team success.

Kane’s victory followed that pattern, but it also carried a personal significance.

During his years at Tottenham, his goalscoring record was rarely questioned. What followed him was the absence of major silverware, an issue that became almost inseparable from discussions about his career.

At Bayern, he has now combined the scoring numbers that made him one of Europe’s most respected strikers with the trophies that previously eluded him.

The 2026 award does not settle every argument about the world’s best player. Mbappé and Yamal will have further opportunities to make their cases, and the competition is unlikely to become any less intense.

For Kane, however, the recognition is a significant milestone.

Twenty-five years after Owen became the last Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, another England striker has his name on the trophy.

And this time, there is little room left for questions about what Harry Kane has won.