New Delhi: Harry Kane won the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious individual honour, at a ceremony held at the London Palladium Theatre in England on Monday.
Kane, who represents England and Bayern Munich, finished ahead of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé, who were also among the favourites for the men’s award, according to UEFA.
Kane’s goal-scoring record has been a major highlight of his performances. He has scored 89 goals for club and country since the beginning of August 2025, underlining his impact as a prolific forward.
The Ballon d’Or awards have been jointly organised by France Football, part of the L’Équipe Group, and UEFA since 2024. The annual honours recognise outstanding performances and achievements in both men’s and women’s football.
The event marked the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or, which has been presented annually since 1956.
Alexia Putellas of Spain, who represents FC Barcelona and London City Lionesses FC, won the Women’s Ballon d’Or.
Vicky López of Spain, who plays for FC Barcelona, was named Women’s Young Talent of the Year.
Lamine Yamal of Spain, also representing FC Barcelona, won the Men’s Young Talent of the Year award, while Cata Coll of Spain and FC Barcelona received the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Unai Simón of Spain and Athletic Club was named Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year, while Pere Romeu of Spain and FC Barcelona won the Women’s Coach of the Year award.
The 2026 ceremony recognised achievements across men’s and women’s football as the Ballon d’Or celebrated seven decades of honouring outstanding individual performances and contributions to the sport.
