Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas Claim Top Honours at 2026 Ballon d’Or Ceremony in London
The 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or ceremony took place at London’s Palladium Theatre, marking the first time the awards were presented in England. Held in honour of Sir Stanley Matthews, the inaugural winner in 1956, the ceremony saw England's Harry Kane and Spain's Alexia Putellas take the primary individual honours.
Harry Kane secured his first Men’s Ballon d’Or following performances for Bayern Munich and England. He finished ahead of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé in second and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal in third. Kane's victory makes him the first English player to win the Men’s Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, joining English award winners Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, and Kevin Keegan. Lionel Messi ranked fifth in the voting, following his announcement of international retirement.
Men’s and Women’s Top Rankings
In the women’s category, Alexia Putellas claimed her third Ballon d’Or Féminin, placing ahead of Barcelona teammate Ewa Pajor and Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw. Putellas previously won the title in 2021 and 2022, and her third win ties the record held by her Spain teammate Aitana Bonmatí. Putellas played for FC Barcelona during the core voting period before moving to the London City Lionesses, making her the first winner affiliated with a Women’s Super League (WSL) club.
The top 10 rankings for the Men’s Ballon d’Or were:
- 1. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich / England)
- 2. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid / France)
- 3. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
- 4. Rodri (Barcelona / Spain)
- 5. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami / Argentina)
- 6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain / Georgia)
- 7. Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
- 8. Erling Haaland (Manchester City / Norway)
- 9. Michael Olise (Bayern Munich / France)
- 10. Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain / Spain)
The top 10 rankings for the Women’s Ballon d’Or were:
- 1. Alexia Putellas (London City Lionesses / Spain)
- 2. Ewa Pajor (Barcelona / Poland)
- 3. Khadija Shaw (Manchester City / Jamaica)
- 4. Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes / Haiti)
- 5. Patri Guijarro (Barcelona / Spain)
- 6. Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona / Norway)
- 7. Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich / Denmark)
- 8. Clàudia Pina (Barcelona / Spain)
- 9. Alessia Russo (Arsenal / England)
- 10. Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current / Malawi)
Youth and Category Award Winners
Barcelona’s La Masia academy players claimed both U21 accolades. Lamine Yamal retained the Kopa Trophy for the Men’s Young Player of the Year, winning it for a third consecutive time (2024, 2025, and 2026). Yamal remains the only player to win the trophy more than once since its creation by France Football in 2018. Vicky López retained the Women’s Young Player of the Year award, securing her second consecutive victory.
Additional awards presented during the ceremony included:
- Men’s Striker of the Year (Gerd Müller Trophy): Harry Kane (Bayern Munich / England) – His second Gerd Müller Trophy, after sharing the title in 2024.
- Women’s Striker of the Year (Gerd Müller Trophy): Charlyn Corral (CF Pachuca / Mexico) – The first recipient playing outside Europe's top divisions.
- Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year (Yashin Trophy): Unai Simón (Athletic Club / Spain) – Recognized following Spain's 2026 FIFA World Cup title.
- Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Cata Coll (Barcelona / Spain).
- Men’s Coach of the Year: Luis de la Fuente (Spain) – Led Spain through an undefeated World Cup campaign.
- Women’s Coach of the Year: Pere Romeu (Barcelona).
- Men’s Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain – Became the first team to win back-to-back Men’s Club of the Year titles following a five-trophy season.
- Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona Femení.
- Socrates Award: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal / England) – Honoured for his humanitarian work with charity BigShoe, funding medical aid and 120 surgeries for children in Nigeria.
