Harry Kane has won the Ballon d’Or 2026. The Bayern Munich and England striker beat Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to the 70th Ballon d’Or at the London Palladium on Monday 26 October 2026, becoming the first Englishman to lift the award since Michael Owen in 2001. In the women’s prize, Alexia Putellas won for a third time.
Below is the full men’s top 30, the women’s podium, every other trophy handed out on the night and what the result means. If you missed our preview, the Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees and how-to-watch guide explains how the voting works.
Results confirmed after the ceremony on 26 October 2026. Rankings as published by France Football and reported by ESPN.
In this guide
Ballon d’Or 2026 Winner at a Glance
| Award | Winner | Club / Country |
|---|---|---|
| Ballon d’Or (men) | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich / England |
| Ballon d’Or Féminin | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona / Spain |
| Best young player (men) | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona / Spain |
| Best young player (women) | Vicky López | Barcelona / Spain |
| Best goalkeeper (men) | Unai Simón | Athletic Club / Spain |
| Best goalkeeper (women) | Cata Coll | Barcelona / Spain |
| Top scorer (Gerd Müller Award) | Harry Kane / Charlyn Corral | Bayern Munich / Pachuca |
| Club of the Year | Paris Saint-Germain (men), Barcelona (women) | — |
| Coach of the Year | Luis de la Fuente (men), Pere Romeu (women) | Spain / Barcelona |
| Socrates Award | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal / England |
Why Harry Kane Won
Kane, now 33, finally converted years of elite goalscoring into the sport’s biggest individual prize. He scored 73 goals for club and country across the 2025/26 season and captained England to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup in North America. He also collected the Gerd Müller Award as the season’s top scorer, so he left London with two trophies.
The win carries real history. Kane is only the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, after Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979) and Michael Owen (2001). Fittingly, the ceremony moved to London this year to mark 70 years since Matthews won the very first Ballon d’Or.
In his speech Kane thanked the voters, called the award a team achievement and dedicated it to his wife, Kate. He also spoke about a career that included several loan spells before he broke through at Tottenham, saying he hoped it would inspire young players whose path isn’t a straight line.
Full Men’s Ballon d’Or 2026 Rankings
The Ballon d’Or is voted on by one journalist from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA men’s ranking. Here is the full order:
| Rank | Player | Club | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | England |
| 2 | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | France |
| 3 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | Spain |
| 4 | Rodri | Barcelona | Spain |
| 5 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | Argentina |
| 6 | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | PSG | Georgia |
| 7 | Ousmane Dembélé | PSG | France |
| 8 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | Norway |
| 9 | Michael Olise | Bayern Munich | France |
| 10 | Fabián Ruiz | PSG | Spain |
| 11 | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid | England |
| 12 | Pau Cubarsí | Barcelona | Spain |
| 13 | Achraf Hakimi | PSG | Morocco |
| 14 | Vitinha | PSG | Portugal |
| 15 | Declan Rice | Arsenal | England |
| 16 | Ferran Torres | PSG | Spain |
| 17 | Vinícius Júnior | Real Madrid | Brazil |
| 18 | Marc Cucurella | Real Madrid | Spain |
| 19 | João Neves | PSG | Portugal |
| 20 | Willian Pacho | PSG | Ecuador |
| 21 | Gabriel | Arsenal | Brazil |
| 22 | Lautaro Martínez | Inter | Argentina |
| 23 | Nuno Mendes | PSG | Portugal |
| 24 | Luis Díaz | Bayern Munich | Colombia |
| 25 | Marquinhos | PSG | Brazil |
| 26 | Dayot Upamecano | Bayern Munich | France |
| 27 | Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United | Portugal |
| 28 | Julián Quiñones | Al Qadsiah | Mexico |
| =29 | Sadio Mané | Al Nassr | Senegal |
| =29 | William Saliba | Arsenal | France |
Clubs shown are the players’ current clubs. Rodri, Ferran Torres and Marc Cucurella changed clubs during the summer.
Women’s Ballon d’Or 2026 Result
Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d’Or Féminin for the third time, joining a very short list of three-time winners. Barcelona dominated the women’s vote, with three of the top five.
| Rank | Player | Club | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2 | Ewa Pajor | Barcelona | Poland |
| 3 | Khadija “Bunny” Shaw | Manchester City | Jamaica |
| 4 | Melchie Dumornay | OL Lyonnes | Haiti |
| 5 | Patri Guijarro | Barcelona | Spain |
Every Other Award Winner
Young player awards
Lamine Yamal took the men’s young player award for another year after finishing third overall and winning the World Cup with Spain. Barcelona’s Vicky López won the women’s equivalent.
Goalkeeper awards
Unai Simón was named best men’s goalkeeper after keeping seven clean sheets on Spain’s way to the World Cup title. Cata Coll of Barcelona won the women’s prize.
Club, coach and Socrates awards
Paris Saint-Germain were men’s Club of the Year (PSG had 10 players in the top 30), and Barcelona won the women’s award. Spain’s World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente and Barcelona Femení’s Pere Romeu were the coaches of the year. Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for his work off the pitch.
Talking Points From the Night
- Mbappé misses out again. He finished second despite scoring 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup, taking his all-time World Cup record to 22.
- Yamal backs Cubarsí. The Barcelona winger said his teammate Pau Cubarsí deserved the prize more than him. Cubarsí finished 12th.
- Spain’s World Cup didn’t produce a winner. Spain won the tournament, but their votes were split across Yamal, Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Cubarsí, Ferran Torres and Cucurella.
- An early leak. The official website wrongly listed the three finalists as winners a few hours before the ceremony, which briefly set off confusion online.
- Messi is still there. At 39, Lionel Messi finished fifth after leading Argentina at the World Cup.
For more on how the positions on the pitch shape these debates, see our guide to football positions explained, or brush up on the basics with football rules explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Ballon d’Or 2026?
Harry Kane of Bayern Munich and England won the men’s Ballon d’Or 2026. Alexia Putellas of Barcelona and Spain won the women’s award.
Who came second in the Ballon d’Or 2026?
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid and France) finished second, with Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain) third.
When and where was the Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony?
It took place on Monday 26 October 2026 at the London Palladium. It was the first time the ceremony was held in London.
When did an Englishman last win the Ballon d’Or?
Before Kane, the last English winner was Michael Owen in 2001. Kane is the fifth English winner in the award’s history.
How many times has Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d’Or?
Three times. Her 2026 win adds to her back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.
Key Takeaways
- Harry Kane won the 70th Ballon d’Or, the first English winner in 25 years.
- Mbappé was second and Lamine Yamal third. Yamal also won the young player award.
- Alexia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or for a third time.
- PSG (men) and Barcelona (women) were named Clubs of the Year.
- Spain’s World Cup winners swept the goalkeeper and coach awards through Unai Simón and Luis de la Fuente.
Planning ahead? Our sports calendar 2027 lists every major event for next year, month by month.
