Ballon d'Or 2026: Harry Kane wins award as Barcelona dominates ceremony

Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or ahead of Mbappé and Yamal; Alexia Putellas claimed the women's award for a third time.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony took place at London Palladium, delayed by 45 minutes due to traffic in the capital. Harry Kane claimed the men's award after a prolific season, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappé in second and Lamine Yamal in third. Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich and England, acknowledged his former club Tottenham during his acceptance speech.

Alexia Putellas won the women's Ballon d'Or for the third time in her career, following previous wins in 2021 and 2022. The ceremony, hosted by Kate Scott and Thierry Henry, saw Barcelona and Spain dominate the awards, with Yamal winning the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year, Luis De la Fuente named best men's coach, and Barcelona crowned best women's club. PSG was named best men's club for the second year running. Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for humanitarian work.