Football’s biggest night of the year did not happen in Paris this time. On Monday, 26 October 2026, the stars gathered at the London Palladium, and the evening ended with a moment English fans have waited a quarter of a century for: Harry Kane is the Ballon d’Or winner. Here is the full story of the ceremony, every major winner, and why this year’s results mattered.
Why London Hosted the 2026 Ballon d’Or
France Football, the magazine behind the award, moved the gala to the English capital as a tribute to Stanley Matthews. The Blackpool and England winger collected the very first Ballon d’Or in 1956, edging out Real Madrid’s Alfredo Di Stéfano, so London felt like a fitting stage for the 70th anniversary of that moment.
The night did not run perfectly. According to beIN Sports’ live coverage, the start was delayed because London traffic held up some guests. Most of the Paris Saint-Germain squad also missed their club award, because their Ligue 1 trip to Lyon had been moved to the same evening, according to Yahoo Sports.
Harry Kane Wins the Men’s Ballon d’Or
Kane, now 33, becomes the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001. He is also Bayern Munich’s first Ballon d’Or winner in 45 years and the club’s first foreign recipient, Forbes reports. His previous best finish had been 10th, back in 2024, which makes the jump to number one even more striking.
The numbers explain the vote. Over 2025/26 he scored 73 goals in 65 games for club and country, including 61 in 51 for Bayern. He finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer for the third season running with 36 league goals, added 14 in the Champions League, and struck six times at the World Cup as England reached the semi-finals and then won the third-place match.
Kane looked close to speechless on stage. He thanked the voters and France Football, credited his Bayern and England team-mates, and mentioned Tottenham, the club he joined as a boy. NBC Sports also reports he dedicated the win to his wife, Katie. In his own words, as quoted by ESPN, he imagined the vote had been tough.
It is also worth remembering what this means beyond the trophy itself. For years Kane was praised as one of the best strikers in the world while being told he had never won anything big. A move to Bayern, three straight Bundesliga scoring titles and a deep World Cup campaign changed that story, and the Ballon d’Or now sits on top of it.
Mbappé, Yamal and the Rest of the Top 10
Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal completed the podium. The reports I checked list the two in different orders, so I would rather not call a definite runner-up. What is clear is that both had huge years. Mbappé became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, ten of them at this tournament, while Yamal won the World Cup with Spain.
According to NBC Sports’ live blog, the rest of the top 10 read like this:
- Rodri
- Lionel Messi
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Erling Haaland
- Michael Olise
- Fabián Ruiz
Further down the list, Jude Bellingham finished 11th, Pau Cubarsí 12th, Achraf Hakimi 13th and Vitinha 14th, while Declan Rice was 15th and Vinícius Júnior 17th. PSG had the most players in the 11th to 29th group, with eight. If you want to see who was tipped before the night, our Ballon d’Or 2026 shortlist preview is still worth a look.
Alexia Putellas Takes the Women’s Ballon d’Or
On the women’s side, Alexia Putellas won her third Ballon d’Or and her first in four years. Reports describe her as now playing for London City Lionesses, which added a nice local touch to the evening. NBC lists the next places as Ewa Pajor, Bunny Shaw, Melchie Dumornay and Patri Guijarro, with Caroline Graham Hansen, Pernille Harder, Claudia Pina, Alessia Russo and Temwa Chawinga completing the top 10.
Further down, Yui Hasegawa was 11th, Klara Bühl 12th and Mariona Caldentey 13th. Michael Owen was reported to have presented the women’s award. Barcelona’s women also swept much of the night, taking the club award, the coach award, the goalkeeper award and a young talent prize, which underlines how strong their squad has been over the past season. Putellas herself has been the face of that Barcelona era, so a third trophy feels like a fitting reward for one of the sport’s great careers.
All the Other Award Winners
Spain dominated the supporting categories, which fits a year when the national team won the World Cup. Here is the complete list from Yahoo Sports:
- Kopa Trophy (men): Lamine Yamal, a third win in a row
- Kopa Trophy (women): Vicky López, Barcelona
- Yashin Trophy (men): Unai Simón, for his part in Spain’s World Cup win
- Yashin Trophy (women): Cata Coll, Barcelona
- Men’s Coach of the Year: Luis de la Fuente
- Women’s Coach of the Year: Pere Romeu, Barcelona
- Men’s Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain
- Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona
- Gerd Müller Trophy: Harry Kane and Charlyn Corral
- Socrates Award: Bukayo Saka, for his humanitarian work
Yamal’s third straight Kopa Trophy is a remarkable run for a player who is still so young. If you enjoy following Spain’s new generation, read our match report on Real Madrid’s 2-1 El Clásico win over Barcelona.
What This Year’s Results Tell Us
Three themes stand out. First, the award rewarded consistency over a single big night. Kane’s 73 goals stretched across the Bundesliga, the Champions League and a World Cup, and voters clearly valued that volume. Second, the World Cup mattered. Spain’s winners, and Mbappé’s record, show how much a summer tournament still shapes the vote.
Third, the old guard has not quite disappeared. Messi still finished fifth, which is why stories about his future keep drawing readers. You can catch up with our pieces on Messi’s sons and his football club plans and his farewell match for Argentina.
Finally, for Real Madrid and Barcelona fans arguing about Vinícius, Bellingham and Yamal, our profile of Vinícius Júnior’s rise at Real Madrid adds useful background. For a daily round-up of what fans are searching, see Sports Trending Today.
How the Ballon d’Or Vote Works
France Football organises the prize. A jury of 100 journalists, drawn from the top-ranked men’s national teams, each picks ten players in order from a 30-player shortlist. Points are awarded by position, and the player with the highest total wins. The same method is used, with its own jury, for the women’s award.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Ballon d’Or 2026?
Harry Kane of Bayern Munich and England won the men’s award. Alexia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or.
Where was the 2026 ceremony held?
At the London Palladium on 26 October 2026, in honour of Stanley Matthews, the first winner in 1956.
When did an Englishman last win it?
Michael Owen in 2001, so Kane ends a 25-year wait.
Who won the Kopa and Yashin trophies?
Lamine Yamal and Vicky López took the Kopa Trophies, while Unai Simón and Cata Coll won the Yashin Trophies.
Accurate as of 27 October 2026. Placings below the top three were taken from live coverage and may be updated by the organisers. Stock photos are illustrative, not from the ceremony: golden trophies by Jelly Dollar and a London theatre by Elizabeth Jamieson, both via Unsplash.