Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, the top individual prize in men's football. Alexia Putellas won the Women's Ballon d'Or for the third time. The awards were handed out in London on Monday 26 October.
England's first winner in 25 years
Kane plays for Bayern München and England. He is the first English player to win the award in 25 years, ESPN reports. Before him, the English winners were Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen.
Kane also won the men's striker award. Kylian Mbappé finished second in the vote, ahead of Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi.
A third win for Putellas
Putellas, of Spain, had already won the women's prize in 2021 and 2022. She was the only past winner on this year's shortlist. Ewa Pajor finished second and Khadija Shaw third.
Every winner at a glance
- Men's Ballon d'Or: Harry Kane.
- Women's Ballon d'Or: Alexia Putellas.
- Men's Young Talent of the Year: Lamine Yamal.
- Women's Young Talent of the Year: Vicky López.
- Men's Goalkeeper of the Year: Unai Simón.
- Women's Goalkeeper of the Year: Cata Coll.
- Men's Coach of the Year: Luis de la Fuente.
- Women's Coach of the Year: Pere Romeu.
- Men's Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain.
- Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona.
- Sócrates Award: Bukayo Saka.
Spain had a big night. Yamal, López, Simón, Coll, de la Fuente and Romeu are all Spanish. ESPN says Simón kept seven clean sheets at the World Cup.
Why the show moved to London
The ceremony usually takes place in Paris. This year it was held at the London Palladium for the first time, says UEFA. The award turned 70, and the move honoured its first winner, England's Stanley Matthews. Thierry Henry and Kate Scott hosted the night.
Who runs the award
The French magazine France Football created the Ballon d'Or in 1956. Since 2024, it has been run jointly with UEFA.
The two sides split the work. Groupe Amaury, which owns France Football, still owns the brand and oversees the vote. UEFA organises the gala and sells the global rights. UEFA says the voting system stays independent and unchanged.
Thirty names on each list
Each main prize started with a shortlist of 30 players. The men's list included three past winners: Messi, the 2025 winner Ousmane Dembélé and the 2024 winner Rodri. Messi holds the record with eight wins.
Winners keep the trophy
Every winner keeps an original trophy. A new one is made for each category every year. Players can also order official copies.
By UEFA's count, that puts 71 official men's trophies and seven women's trophies in the world. The men's figure includes honorary awards for Diego Maradona and Pelé. Neither could win the prize during their careers, because the rules did not allow it then.