England captain Harry Kane has been crowned the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or winner, becoming the first English footballer in 25 years to claim football's most prestigious individual honour.
The Bayern Munich striker received the award at the 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony held at the London Palladium on Monday night, October 26, finishing ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.
Kane's victory makes him the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001, joining an exclusive list of English winners that includes Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan.
The 33-year-old enjoyed an outstanding 2025/26 campaign, scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country, including 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern Munich.
His remarkable scoring form helped Bayern secure the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal, while he also finished as the German league's leading scorer for the third consecutive season.
Kane's triumph also ended a 45-year wait for a Bayern Munich player to win the award, with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge the last to achieve the feat in 1981.
In the women's category, Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas claimed her third Ballon d'Or, adding to her previous victories in 2021 and 2022.
The former Barcelona captain, who joined London City Lionesses, was recognised for another outstanding season, further cementing her reputation as one of the greatest players in women's football.
Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal claimed the Men's Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year, while fellow Barcelona youngster Vicky Lopez retained the Women's Kopa Trophy.
Spain's World Cup-winning manager Luis de la Fuente received the Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy for Coach of the Year, while Barcelona women's manager Pere Romeu won the corresponding women's award.
Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simon was named Men's Goalkeeper of the Year, receiving the Yashin Trophy, while Barcelona's Cata Coll won the women's equivalent.
Kane also collected the Men's Gerd Muller Trophy as the best striker, completing a memorable night with two individual honours.
Mexico international Charlyn Corral, who plays for Pachuca, received the Women's Gerd Muller Trophy following her impressive goalscoring performances.
Paris Saint-Germain were named Men's Club of the Year for the second consecutive time, while Barcelona claimed Women's Club of the Year for the third time in four years.
Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award in recognition of his humanitarian work through his Big Shoe charity initiative.
The 2026 ceremony marked a historic occasion for the Ballon d'Or, with the awards held in London in honour of Stanley Matthews, who became the competition's inaugural winner in 1956.
For Kane, the recognition represents another major milestone in a career defined by consistency and goalscoring excellence, as he finally adds the Ballon d'Or to his growing collection of honours.
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