Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or; Alexia Putellas claims Ballon d'Or Feminin in London on October 26, 2026

Harry Kane was awarded the Ballon d'Or and Alexia Putellas received the Ballon d'Or Feminin at the ceremony held at the London Palladium Theatre in London on Monday, October 26, 2026. The winners were announced during the annual Ballon d'Or awards night.

Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich and captains England, became the first Englishman to lift the Ballon d'Or in 25 years, following Michael Owen's 2001 victory. Putellas won the women's prize for the third time.

Kane's move to Bayern in 2023 is noted as having brought team trophies that had previously eluded him, and in 2025-26 he combined that team success with prolific goalscoring. He scored 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern across all competitions as the German club completed a domestic league and cup double, figures that established him as the leading Ballon d'Or candidate.

Across all competitions, Kane finished the campaign with 73 goals for club and country, totals the original report described as rarely seen in the modern era. At international level he scored six goals during the World Cup and helped England reach the semi-finals, serving as the team's driving force during that tournament.

The award was framed in the piece as the culmination of Kane's career trajectory; the article recounts his early struggles to establish himself at Tottenham Hotspur, including multiple loan spells, and his subsequent development into a centre forward capable of scoring in many ways while also creating for teammates. The write-up credited his season-long consistency and decision-making in matches as central to his case for the prize.

Kane, addressing the audience after taking the stage, said: "Wow, wow, wow!" He added: "I am almost ⁠speechless. Being here in London has made it extra special. It's a good omen for me tonight. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I can imagine it was tough this year. "Some world-class players in ‌the room tonight. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees tonight and impressive showing determination and hard work can really achieve." The article also noted that the competition for the award included players such as Kylian Mbappe, who broke World Cup scoring records, and Lamine Yamal, who helped Spain to World Cup glory.

Putellas was presented with the women's award after winning the treble with Barcelona in the 2025-26 campaign, in addition to the Spanish Super Cup. She moved to Women's Super League side London City Lionesses in July after 14 years at Barca.