The Bayern Munich striker and England captain was crowned the men’s Ballon d’Or in London on October 26, 2026. It is the first time Harry Kane has received the award in his career, presented by the magazine France Football at the London Palladium Theatre.
Ronaldo Fenômeno handed over the trophy during the final announcement of the evening. In the women’s category, Spain’s Alexia Putellas was the winner.
Vote leaves Yamal, Mbappé and Messi behind the winner
Kane beat Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembélé, the Paris Saint-Germain player who won the previous edition in 2025. The Ballon d’Or 2026 honors the season that ran from August 2025 to July 2026, and the ceremony took place in London.
The jury is made up of one specialist journalist from each country among the top 100 nations in the FIFA ranking for the men’s award. For the women’s award, the cut-off is the top 50 countries in the ranking, with a reference date of September 2026. According to France Football, the criteria follow this order: individual performances, team performances and achievements, and class and fair play. Each voter distributes 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 points among ten players, in order of preference.
Kane also collects the top scorer award
During the same ceremony, Kane received the Gerd Müller Trophy, given to the season’s top scorer. The figures behind the award are 73 goals in 65 matches for Bayern Munich and the England national team in the 2025/26 season.
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Where Brazilian players landed, with Vini Jr. at 17th
Among Brazilian players, Vini Jr. of Real Madrid had the best position, in 17th place in the world ranking. Ranking positions were released gradually by France Football and the French newspaper L’Équipe before the ceremony began. On the women’s side, Brazil’s Lorena, of Kansas City Current, was ranked 28th.
England waited since 2001 for a Ballon d’Or winner
Kane is the first English winner since 2001. The earlier English winners, with the years and clubs they played for when they won, are listed below.
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- 1956: Stanley Matthews, Blackpool
- 1966: Bobby Charlton, Manchester United
- 1978 and 1979: Kevin Keegan, Hamburg
- 2001: Michael Owen, Liverpool
- 2026: Harry Kane, Bayern Munich
Putellas claims a third women’s title and ties Bonmatí’s record
Spain’s Alexia Putellas of Barcelona won the women’s category, and the newsroom confirmed the result on more than one page. It is her third Women’s Ballon d’Or, after the 2021 and 2022 editions, and it equals the record of her teammate Aitana Bonmatí, who also has three titles.
What the newsroom has not verified from the ceremony
The newsroom did not confirm the statements Kane made at the ceremony, so they are not reproduced here. The pages consulted also did not provide data on his World Cup campaign with England or on the German title this season. Information about Bayern Munich’s coach was not confirmed either.
