England captain Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, beating Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to claim football’s top individual award following a record-breaking season.

The Bayern Munich striker received the honor at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, becoming just the fifth Englishman to win the prestigious award.

Kane joins Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen on the list of English winners. Owen was the last English player to receive the award in 2001.

The ceremony marked 70 years since Matthews won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956.

Kane’s victory followed a season in which he scored 73 goals, earning him another individual award earlier in the evening.

Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas won the Women’s Ballon d’Or as Spain and Barcelona collected several additional honors.

Harry Kane Wins Ballon d’Or After 73-Goal Season and Dramatic Ceremony

Kane entered the ceremony as one of three leading candidates alongside Real Madrid forward Mbappe and Barcelona winger Yamal.

A panel of 100 journalists from around the world voted to determine the best player of the 2025/26 season.

According to The Independent, the ceremony experienced delays and confusion before Kane finally received his award at 10:51 p.m. local time.

The Ballon d’Or’s official website also reportedly published separate articles declaring Kane, Mbappe and Yamal winners hours before the announcement. The articles were subsequently deleted.

The ceremony itself started later than scheduled, with an initial 30-minute delay extending to approximately an hour.

Before receiving the night’s top prize, Kane was named Men’s Striker of the Year.

His 73-goal tally surpassed Robert Lewandowski’s previous record of 69 goals in 2021.

Kane previously shared the award with Mbappe in 2024, making this his second time receiving the goalscoring honor.

Alexia Putellas Wins Women’s Ballon d’Or as Barcelona Collects Multiple Awards

Putellas received the Women’s Ballon d’Or following another successful season with Barcelona.

The Spanish midfielder’s victory was part of a strong showing for the Catalan club, which collected several awards across the women’s categories.

Vicky López won Women’s Young Talent of the Year for the second consecutive season, while goalkeeper Cata Coll received the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.

Barcelona head coach Pere Romeu was named Women’s Coach of the Year.

The club also received the Women’s Club of the Year award.

In the men’s club category, Paris Saint-Germain took home the top honor.

Mexico’s Charlyn Corral won Women’s Striker of the Year, becoming the first Mexican player to receive an award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Lamine Yamal and Spain’s World Cup Winners Receive Major Honors

Spain’s 2026 World Cup-winning team also received recognition throughout the ceremony.

Yamal won Men’s Young Talent of the Year for the third consecutive season after helping Spain claim the World Cup in North America.

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente received the Johan Cruyff Trophy as Men’s Coach of the Year.

De la Fuente added the honor to his accomplishments after guiding Spain to World Cup glory, along with previous European Championship and Nations League titles.

“It’s a real honour for me to receive this prize. To be among the nominees for this award is really something very special, I was very happy just with that,” De la Fuente said during his acceptance speech.

He emphasized the contributions of Spain’s players and coaching staff.

“I would also like to thank the rest of the nominees because they have done more than enough to deserve this. This prize is not an individual prize. This really is for a whole team, a great team, all of these players we have with us here this evening.”

The Spain manager also thanked his family before reflecting on the importance of continued improvement.

“I’d like to conclude by thanking my family, those who are here and those who are not here. My parents and my brother I am thinking of in particular.”

“Football, just like life, teaches us that nothing is forever and it’s only by continuing to work every day that we can keep learning.”

Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón received the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award after conceding just one goal during the World Cup.

The Athletic Club goalkeeper also set a tournament record, going 650 consecutive minutes without conceding.

Bukayo Saka Receives Sócrates Award at 2026 Ballon d’Or Ceremony

Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka received the Sócrates Award for his charitable work.

The honor recognizes soccer players for their humanitarian contributions and social initiatives.

Saka received the award for his involvement with the Big Shoe charity.

The ceremony concluded with Kane receiving the Men’s Ballon d’Or, capping an evening that honored players, coaches, and clubs across international and domestic soccer.

Full List of 2026 Ballon d’Or Winners

Men’s Ballon d’Or: Harry Kane

Women’s Ballon d’Or: Alexia Putellas

Men’s Young Talent: Lamine Yamal

Women’s Young Talent: Vicky López

Men’s Coach of the Year: Luis de la Fuente

Women’s Coach of the Year: Pere Romeu

Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Unai Simón

Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Cata Coll

Men’s Striker of the Year: Harry Kane

Women’s Striker of the Year: Charlyn Corral

Men’s Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain

Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona

Sócrates Award: Bukayo Saka