On a landmark night celebrating the 70th anniversary of world football’s most prestigious individual award, England captain Harry Kane claimed his first men’s Ballon d’Or title at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, 2026.
Kane became the first English footballer in 25 years to lift the trophy—and the fifth in history—edging out Barcelona star Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé.
Kane’s Double Triumph & Putellas Makes History
Despite a nearly one-hour delay caused by London traffic, the home crowd celebrated as Kane took home both the Ballon d’Or and the Men’s Striker of the Year awards following an incredible goalscoring season for Bayern Munich and England.
On the women’s side, FC Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas claimed her third career Ballon d’Or Féminin, finishing ahead of Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay. Putellas’s victory marked Spain’s sixth consecutive year winning the women’s award, continuing a dominant era previously shared with Aitana Bonmatí.
Spain Dominates With 8 Out of 13 Trophy Wins
Spanish football asserted unmatched dominance across the night, securing 8 of the 13 total accolades:
- Coaching Excellence: World Cup-winning manager Luis de la Fuente was named Men’s Coach of the Year, while Barcelona Femení’s Pere Romeu claimed Women’s Coach of the Year.
- Next Generation: Lamine Yamal won his third consecutive Men’s Young Player of the Year award, while Barcelona’s Vicky López secured her second straight Women’s Young Player title.
- Goalkeeping Honors: Unai Simón and Cata Coll were crowned Men’s and Women’s Goalkeepers of the Year, respectively.
- Club Sweep: Barcelona Femení was named Women’s Club of the Year after completing a quadruplet sweep (Liga F, Copa de la Reina, Spanish Super Cup, and UEFA Women’s Champions League). Paris Saint-Germain picked up Men’s Club of the Year.
Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka was honored with the Socrates Award for his extensive humanitarian and community work.
