The 2026 Ballon d’Or belonged to Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas. The 70th edition of football’s biggest individual night moved to the London Palladium on Monday, the first time the ceremony has been staged outside France, and a Londoner and a London-based midfielder took the two main trophies home.
France Football and UEFA staged the anniversary gala in London to honour Stanley Matthews, the England winger who won the first Ballon d’Or in 1956. Thierry Henry and Kate Scott hosted a night that handed out 13 awards across the men’s and women’s game. Here is every winner, the full top of both votes, and the official posts that carried the night.
Men’s Ballon d’Or: Harry Kane Finishes First
Kane won the men’s Ballon d’Or ahead of Kylian Mbappe in second and Lamine Yamal in third. Rodri finished fourth and Lionel Messi fifth, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele, Erling Haaland, Michael Olise and Fabian Ruiz completing the official top 10. The rest of the 30-man ranking ran Jude Bellingham 11th, Pau Cubarsi 12th, Achraf Hakimi 13th, Vitinha 14th, Declan Rice 15th, Ferran Torres 16th, Vinicius Junior 17th, Marc Cucurella 18th, Joao Neves 19th, Willian Pacho 20th, Gabriel Magalhaes 21st, Lautaro Martinez 22nd, Nuno Mendes 23rd, Luis Diaz 24th, Marquinhos 25th, Dayot Upamecano 26th, Bruno Fernandes 27th, Julian Quinones 28th, and William Saliba and Sadio Mane tied at 29th.
The case was built on goals. Kane scored 73 times for Bayern Munich and England across the 2025-26 judging period, won a third straight Bundesliga scoring title with 36 league goals, and lifted a domestic league and cup double in Munich. He then scored six goals at the World Cup as England finished third, their best result at the tournament since 1966. At 33, he is the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001 and only the fifth English winner in the award’s 70-year history. iimiTV covered the win in full on the night: Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
“To be named the best player in the world is incredible. I’m lost for words. It being here in London as well has made it extra special.”
Women’s Ballon d’Or: Alexia Putellas Wins Her Third
Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time, after 2021 and 2022, tying Aitana Bonmati’s record and ending her former Barcelona teammate’s three-year run at the top. Ewa Pajor finished second after a Champions League campaign that included a hat-trick in the final, and Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw finished third. Melchie Dumornay was fourth and Patri Guijarro fifth, with Caroline Graham Hansen, Pernille Harder, Claudia Pina, Alessia Russo and Temwa Chawinga rounding out the top 10.
Putellas captained Barcelona to a quadruple in her final season at the club, league, two domestic cups and the Women’s Champions League, and produced more goal involvements than any player in last season’s Champions League. She joined London City Lionesses in the summer, which made her the first women’s winner playing for a Women’s Super League club, and she collected the trophy a short trip from her new home ground. Her message on stage was aimed at the next generation: “Believe in yourself, that’s the most important thing. If you have a dream, go for it.”
Young Talent, Goalkeepers and Coaches
Lamine Yamal won the men’s young talent award, the Kopa Trophy, for the third straight year, a run no player had managed before. Barcelona’s Vicky Lopez won the women’s young talent award for the second straight year, keeping both youth prizes at the same club. The goalkeeper awards stayed in Spain as well: Athletic Club’s Unai Simon took the men’s Yashin Trophy, and Barcelona’s Cata Coll won the women’s goalkeeper award after another Champions League run.
The coaching prizes split between the national and club game. Luis de la Fuente, who led Spain to the World Cup title in the summer, was named men’s coach of the year. Pere Romeu, the coach behind Barcelona’s quadruple, won the women’s coach award, one of five honours that went to his club on the night.
Strikers, Clubs and the Socrates Award
Kane doubled up with the Gerd Muller Trophy as the men’s striker of the year, the scoring award matching the season that carried his Ballon d’Or case. The women’s striker award went to Mexico’s Charlyn Corral of Pachuca. Paris Saint-Germain were named men’s club of the year, and Barcelona took the women’s club award for the third time in four years. The night’s final honour, the Socrates Award for solidarity and humanitarian work, went to Arsenal and England forward Bukayo Saka.
The full honours list: Men’s Ballon d’Or, Harry Kane. Women’s Ballon d’Or, Alexia Putellas. Men’s young talent, Lamine Yamal. Women’s young talent, Vicky Lopez. Men’s goalkeeper, Unai Simon. Women’s goalkeeper, Cata Coll. Men’s coach, Luis de la Fuente. Women’s coach, Pere Romeu. Men’s striker, Harry Kane. Women’s striker, Charlyn Corral. Men’s club of the year, Paris Saint-Germain. Women’s club of the year, Barcelona. Socrates Award, Bukayo Saka.
Seventy years after Matthews started the list in this same city, the 2026 edition closed the circle: an English scorer on top of the men’s game again, a Spanish playmaker back on top of the women’s game, and Barcelona and Spain supplying most of the names in between. The votes are counted, the trophies are home, and the argument about next year starts now.
