Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d'Or as first English winner since 2001

Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Englishman to lift football's most famous individual prize since Michael Owen in 2001. The Bayern Munich and England captain was named the winner at the London Palladium on Monday night, with Brazil great Ronaldo Nazário presenting the trophy. He is also the first Bayern player to win it since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981, while Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d'Or Féminin for a record-equalling third time.

Kane ends England's 25-year wait

The 70th edition of the award was held outside France for the first time, in London, to mark 70 years since Stanley Matthews won the first Ballon d'Or in 1956. The ceremony started late and ran well past its scheduled finish, and the men's prize was finally announced at about 22:50 UK time, to chants of "Harry! Harry! Harry!" inside the theatre.

"I am almost speechless," Kane told the audience. "Being here in London has made it extra special."

How he won it

Kane, 33, is the fifth Englishman to win the award, after Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen. His previous best finish was 10th, but his 2025-26 season was the most prolific of his career. He scored 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern, a club record for a single season, including 36 in the Bundesliga, 14 in the Champions League and 10 in the DFB-Pokal.

Bayern retained the Bundesliga title and won the German Cup for the first time since 2020, with Kane scoring a second-half hat-trick in the 3-0 final win over Stuttgart. He also won the European Golden Shoe for the second time and the Bundesliga's top-scorer award for a third season in a row.

For England, he scored six goals at the 2026 World Cup, where England finished third, and became England's record goalscorer at World Cups. Earlier in the evening he also collected the men's Striker of the Year award, formerly the Gerd Müller Trophy, for the second time.

Putellas wins third Ballon d'Or Féminin

Putellas, 32, captained Barcelona to a quadruple in 2025-26, including the Women's Champions League, before joining London City Lionesses in the summer. She now has three Ballon d'Or Féminin titles, level with her Spain team-mate Aitana Bonmatí, who won the previous three. Her win also keeps the award with a Spanish player for the sixth year running.

Other award winners

• Men's Young Talent of the Year: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), his third in a row
• Women's Young Talent of the Year: Vicky López (Barcelona), her second in a row
• Men's Coach of the Year: Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
• Women's Coach of the Year: Pere Romeu (Barcelona)
• Men's Goalkeeper of the Year (Yashin Trophy): Unai Simón (Athletic Club and Spain)
• Women's Goalkeeper of the Year: Cata Coll (Barcelona and Spain)
• Men's Striker of the Year: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich and England)
• Women's Striker of the Year: Charlyn Corral (Pachuca and Mexico)
• Men's Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain, for the second year running
• Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
• Sócrates Award: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

What it means

The award rewards a striker who did not win a major club trophy until his move to Bayern in 2023. Spain also had a big night: their World Cup-winning coach and goalkeeper both won awards, and Spanish players took both young talent prizes and the Ballon d'Or Féminin.

Read more on his recent landmarks in our reports on England 3-0 Czechia and Bayern Munich 6-1 RB Leipzig, and on why Spain extended Luis de la Fuente's contract until 2032.

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