Ballon d'Or 2026: Harry Kane crowned the world's best player
Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The Bayern Munich striker and England captain received the award on 26 October at a ceremony held in London for the first time, at the London Palladium.
The podium
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| 1st | Harry Kane (Bayern / England) |
| 2nd | Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid / France) |
| 3rd | Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain) |
Further down the rankings, 2024 winner Rodri finished 4th and Lionel Messi 5th. Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 winner, came 7th.
A historic moment for England
Kane is the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001. The award rewards a season of relentless goalscoring for Bayern and for England, who finished third at the 2026 World Cup. Kane also took home the Gerd Müller Trophy for the top striker.
The night's other winners
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Women's Ballon d'Or | Alexia Putellas (Barcelona), her third title |
| Kopa Trophy (best young player) | Lamine Yamal and Vicky López |
| Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper) | Unai Simón (Athletic Club / Spain) |
Unai Simón was honoured after a World Cup in which he helped Spain to the title while conceding just one goal in eight matches.
Why London?
The ceremony left Paris for the first time since 2019 to honour Stanley Matthews, the Englishman who won the very first Ballon d'Or in 1956. The 2026 edition was the 70th in the award's history.