Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas win Ballon d'Or 2026 at London Palladium
Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas were named the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or winners at the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony held at the London Palladium Theatre in England on October 26, 2026. Kane represents Bayern Munich and Putellas now plays for the London City Lionesses.
The awards, presented by France Football, honoured the leading players from the 2025–26 season at the annual gala. The ceremony recognised achievements across both men’s and women’s football in its 70th edition.
Kane finished the 2025–26 campaign with 73 goals in 65 games for Bayern Munich and the England national team and helped Bayern win the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the German Supercup. He also received the men’s Gerd Müller Trophy for his goalscoring exploits and became the fourth Bayern player to win the Ballon d’Or after Gerd Müller, Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Kane is the first Englishman to claim the men’s Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, ending a 25-year wait for an English winner. At the most recent FIFA World Cup he scored six goals in seven games before Argentina defeated England in the semifinals.
Alexia Putellas won the Women’s Ballon d’Or for a third time, adding to her 2021 and 2022 victories and moving level with Aitana Bonmatí for the most women’s awards. The former Barcelona Femeni midfielder, now at London City Lionesses, was part of Barcelona Femeni’s season in which the club secured a historic quadruple.
Other honours at the ceremony included the men’s Kopa Trophy for Lamine Yamal and the women’s Kopa Trophy for Vicky Lopez; Lamine Yamal missed out on the Ballon d’Or and later said he felt the award should have gone to his colleague Pau Cubarsi. Spain’s Luis de la Fuente was named Men’s Coach of the Year after leading Spain at the World Cup in North America, and Pere Romeu won the women’s coaching award.
Thirteen winners were announced at the London Palladium on October 26, 2026, and the full honours list was revealed during the gala.
