Ballon D'Or: Harry Kane beats Mbappe, Yamal to football's greatest award

England striker Harry Kane beats Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the 2026 Ballon D'Or (Photo credit: GOAL) The 70th anniversary editio...

England striker Harry Kane beats Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the 2026 Ballon D'Or (Photo credit: GOAL)

The 70th anniversary edition of the Ballon d'Or took place on Monday evening, October 26, 2026, at the historic London Palladium.

Hosting the gala in the United Kingdom for the first time, France Football brought football's premier awards night to London, celebrating the standout performances of the 2025–26 season. The gala took place at the historic London Palladium. The 2026 awards were hosted by former Arsenal star Thierry Henry and his CBS Sports show partner, Kate Scott.

England national team captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane claimed the primary honour, winning the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or. Kane became the first English player to win the award in 25 years, since Michael Owen in 2001.

His triumphant campaign featured a remarkable 73 goals across all club and country competitions, leading Bayern Munich to a domestic double and guiding England to a bronze medal finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Kane edged out Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé, who finished as runner-up, and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, who placed third in the final voting tally. It was later revealed that the Bayern star beat Mbappé by 41 points.

In the women's category, Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas captured her third career Women's Ballon d'Or. Following her pivotal campaign with Barcelona—and her recent high-profile transfer to the London City Lionesses—Putellas took home top honors ahead of her former Barcelona teammate Ewa Pajor and Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw.

Category Winners and Honours

Individual Player Trophies

• Men's Ballon d'Or: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich / England)

• Women's Ballon d'Or: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona & London City Lionesses / Spain)

• Men's Kopa Trophy (Best Young Player): Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

• Women's Kopa Trophy (Best Young Player): Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

• Men's Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper): Unai Simón (Athletic Club / Spain)

• Women's Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper): Cata Coll (Barcelona / Spain)

• Gerd Müller Trophy (Top Male Striker): Harry Kane (Bayern Munich / England)

• Gerd Müller Trophy (Top Female Striker): Charlyn Corral (Pachuca / Mexico)

Club, Coach, and Humanitarian Awards

• Men's Coach of the Year: Luis de la Fuente (Spain National Team)

• Women's Coach of the Year: Pere Romeu (FC Barcelona)

• Men's Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain

• Women's Club of the Year: FC Barcelona

• Sócrates Award (Social Impact): Bukayo Saka (Arsenal / England)

Men's Ballon d'Or Final Top 10 Rankings

1. Harry Kane — Bayern Munich / England

2. Kylian Mbappé — Real Madrid / France

3. Lamine Yamal — Barcelona / Spain

4. Rodri — Manchester City / 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