Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas claim 2026 Ballon d'Or honors
England striker Harry Kane and Spain's Alexia Putellas won the men's and women's Ballon d'Or awards at a ceremony in London.
Key points
- Harry Kane secured the men's Ballon d'Or, becoming the first English player to win the prestigious trophy in 25 years after scoring 73 goals.2,3,4
- Alexia Putellas claimed the women's award for a record-equalling third time during the ceremony held at the London Palladium Theatre.7,20
- Several other figures were recognized, including Bukayo Saka winning the Sócrates Award and Lamine Yamal taking young talent honors.10,21
Harry Kane was awarded the men's Ballon d'Or, overcoming competition that included Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Lamine Yamal. According to reports, the Bayern Munich forward's victory follows a prolific individual campaign featuring 73 goals across all competitions. This achievement marks the first time an Englishman has won the prize since Michael Owen in 2001, and the first time a Bundesliga player has claimed it since 1996.2,3,9,15
In the women's category, Spain's Alexia Putellas secured her status with a record-equalling third Ballon d'Or title following a notable comeback. The 70th-anniversary event took place in London at the Palladium Theatre, marking the first time the ceremony has been hosted in the British capital. The evening also featured historical moments for African football, as Malawi's Temwa Chawinga finished in the top ten of the women's rankings.2,7,12,13,20
Additional awards were distributed during the eventful evening. Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka was presented with the Sócrates Award by musician Burna Boy, while Lamine Yamal collected the young talent award for the third consecutive year. Commentators and analysts noted that the ceremony experienced various chaotic elements, and figures such as Thierry Henry later defended remarks they made during the broadcast.10,14,21,23
How the coverage differs
Sources · the original reporting
- 1Ballon d’Or 2026: How Nigeria went from Osimhen, Lookman to no nominees ↗Premium Times · NG · 26 Oct 2026, 2:41 pm UTC
- 2Harry Kane beats Messi to 2026 Ballon d’Or ↗Buenos Aires Herald · AR · 26 Oct 2026, 11:02 pm UTC
- 3England and Bayern forward Harry Kane wins men's Ballon d'Or ↗CNA · SG · 26 Oct 2026, 11:19 pm UTC
- 4England forward Kane crowned Ballon d'Or winner, Putellas wins women's award ↗Dawn · PK · 26 Oct 2026, 11:20 pm UTC
- 5Kane's long road to Ballon d'Or glory ends with his crowning moment ↗ESPN · US · 27 Oct 2026, 12:52 am UTC
- 6Kane crowned Ballon d’Or winner as Putellas wins women’s award ↗The Japan Times · JP · 27 Oct 2026, 1:29 am UTC
- 7Ballon d’Or: Kane, Putellas crowned world’s best footballers in London ↗Premium Times · NG · 27 Oct 2026, 5:00 am UTC
- 8'A dream come true' - Harry Kane on his Ballon d'Or win ↗BBC News · World · GB · 27 Oct 2026, 7:22 am UTC
- 9Harry Kane become first English footballer to win Ballon d'Or in 25 years ↗Africanews · 27 Oct 2026, 7:25 am UTC
- 10Burna Boy makes history at Ballon d’Or awards ↗Premium Times · NG · 27 Oct 2026, 9:44 am UTC
- 11The Ballon d’Or has a narrow definition of footballing greatness ↗Al Jazeera · QA · 27 Oct 2026, 11:49 am UTC
- 12Putellas completes remarkable comeback with record-equalling third Ballon d'Or ↗CNA · SG · 27 Oct 2026, 1:54 pm UTC
- 13Malawi: Chawinga Makes History By Reaching Ballon d'Or Top 10 ↗AllAfrica · 27 Oct 2026, 2:02 pm UTC
- 14Ballon d'Or in London - the most chaotic ever? ↗BBC Sport · GB · 27 Oct 2026, 2:10 pm UTC
- 15How Kane's Ballon d'Or win could boost the Bundesliga ↗BBC Sport · GB · 27 Oct 2026, 2:24 pm UTC
- 16Ballon d'Or ceremony raises case of French sports journalist jailed in Algeria ↗BBC News · World · GB · 27 Oct 2026, 2:29 pm UTC
- 17Why Mbappé and Yamal didn't deserve to win Ballon d'Or ↗ESPN · US · 27 Oct 2026, 3:11 pm UTC
- 18Harry Kane: How the ‘runt of the litter’ conquered a historic Ballon d’Or ↗Al Jazeera · QA · 27 Oct 2026, 6:38 pm UTC
- 19Vozinha's Ballon d'Or appearance made a perfect night for soccer's dreamers ↗ESPN · US · 27 Oct 2026, 7:21 pm UTC
- 20Africa: Kane, Putellas Are 2026 Ballon d'Or Winners ↗AllAfrica · 28 Oct 2026, 2:43 am UTC
- 21Africa: Kane Ends England's 25-Year Wait, Wins Ballon d'Or ↗AllAfrica · 28 Oct 2026, 4:41 am UTC
- 22Ballon d'Or title will help keep Kane at Bayern, says Matthaeus ↗CNA · SG · 28 Oct 2026, 11:32 am UTC
- 23Henry defends himself after Ballon d'Or criticism ↗BBC Sport · GB · 28 Oct 2026, 12:13 pm UTC
- 24Ballon d’Or win will help keep Kane at Bayern, says Germany’s Matthaus ↗Al Jazeera · QA · 28 Oct 2026, 12:53 pm UTC
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