Harry Kane wins 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or at London ceremony, Alexia Putellas takes women’s award

Harry Kane won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or at a ceremony at the Palladium Theatre in London on 26 October 2026, becoming the first Englishman to claim the prize in 25 years. Alexia Putellas was awarded the women’s Ballon d’Or at the same event, taking the honour for a third time.

Two hours into a lavishly excitable ceremony at the Palladium Theatre, Kane’s name emerged from the final envelope to wild cheers inside the auditorium. The L’Équipe-sponsored trophy is awarded by a vote of journalists and administrators across the footballing super-scape. Kane finished ahead of co-favourites Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid. Putellas’s third Ballon d’Or came five years on from her first in the colours of Barcelona and she currently plays for London City Lionesses.

“It was really tough this year, the incredible players I was up against,” Kane said as he received the trophy, going on to congratulate everyone else nominated for anything else, and thank pretty much everyone he has ever played with. “I am almost speechless. Being here in London has made it extra special,” he added.

Kane’s Ballon d’Or capped a year in which he won the European Golden Boot and played a major role in Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga title while captaining England to a World Cup semi-final. As a pure goalscorer, his numbers were highlighted in the ceremony: he scored 89 goals for club and country since the start of August 2025.

Bayern Munich paid a record €100m fee up front for Kane three years ago, a transfer that broke the club’s usual recruitment patterns and raised some concerns given Kane was 30 at the time. The article states that it is a measure of his contribution on and off the pitch that this outlay is now seen as entirely vindicated. Kane’s professional career has included loan spells at Leyton Orient and Millwall.

Earlier this month Kane equalled England’s all-time caps record while nudging his international goal tally on to 91 in 125 appearances. He is 33 years old.

Aged 33, he still has a home Euros two years from now in his sights as England’s captain and a final opportunity for a different kind of footballing immortality.