​Harry Kane GettyEngland captain Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, beating Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to claim football’s top individual award following a record-breaking season.The Bayern Munich striker received the honor at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, becoming just the fifth Englishman to win the prestigious award.Kane joins Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen on the list of English winners. Owen was the last English player to receive the award in 2001.The ceremony marked 70 years since Matthews won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956.Kane’s victory followed a season in which he scored 73 goals, earning him another individual award earlier in the evening.Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas won the Women’s Ballon d’Or as Spain and Barcelona collected several additional honors.Harry Kane Wins Ballon d’Or After 73-Goal Season and Dramatic Ceremony
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Kane entered the ceremony as one of three leading candidates alongside Real Madrid forward Mbappe and Barcelona winger Yamal.A panel of 100 journalists from around the world voted to determine the best player of the 2025/26 season.According to The Independent, the ceremony experienced delays and confusion before Kane finally received his award at 10:51 p.m. local time.The Ballon d’Or’s official website also reportedly published separate articles declaring Kane, Mbappe and Yamal winners hours before the announcement. The articles were subsequently deleted.The ceremony itself started later than scheduled, with an initial 30-minute delay extending to approximately an hour.Before receiving the night’s top prize, Kane was named Men’s Striker of the Year.His 73-goal tally surpassed Robert Lewandowski’s previous record of 69 goals in 2021.Kane previously shared the award with Mbappe in 2024, making this his second time receiving the goalscoring honor.Alexia Putellas Wins Women’s Ballon d’Or as Barcelona Collects Multiple Awards
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Putellas received the Women’s Ballon d’Or following another successful season with Barcelona.The Spanish midfielder’s victory was part of a strong showing for the Catalan club, which collected several awards across the women’s categories.Vicky López won Women’s Young Talent of the Year for the second consecutive season, while goalkeeper Cata Coll received the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.Barcelona head coach Pere Romeu was named Women’s Coach of the Year.The club also received the Women’s Club of the Year award.In the men’s club category, Paris Saint-Germain took home the top honor.Mexico’s Charlyn Corral won Women’s Striker of the Year, becoming the first Mexican player to receive an award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.Lamine Yamal and Spain’s World Cup Winners Receive Major Honors
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Spain’s 2026 World Cup-winning team also received recognition t