Harry Kane Wins First Ballon d’Or As Alexia Putellas Claims Third Women’s Title
Harry Kane Wins First Ballon d’Or As Alexia Putellas Claims Third Women’s Title
England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or, while Spain’s Alexia Putellas claimed the women’s award for the third time at a ceremony held at the London Palladium on Monday.
Kane, 33, beat French captain Kylian Mbappe and Spanish forward Lamine Yamal to win the award for the first time in his career, capping a remarkable season with the German club.
Kane scored 61 goals across all competitions for Bayern Munich last season, including 36 goals in 31 Bundesliga matches. As captain of England’s national team, he also helped the Three Lions finish third at the World Cup, their best result in six decades.
The striker was emotional as he received the award, thanking his teammates, family and other supporters.
“I’m almost speechless,” Kane said, describing Bayern Munich as “an honor to play for.”
Yamal finished third in the men’s voting after placing second behind Ousmane Dembele in the previous year’s contest. However, the Barcelona forward won his third consecutive Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best player under 21.
Kane also shared the Striker of the Year recognition with Mexican and CF Pachuca forward Charlyn Corral, an award presented to the leading international goalscorers.
On the women’s side, Putellas won the Ballon d’Or Féminin for the third time, returning to the top three years after her consecutive victories in 2021 and 2022.
The 32-year-old attacking midfielder, who represents Spain internationally and plays for England’s London City Lionesses, had previously spent much of her career at Barcelona. Her return to the podium followed a serious knee injury that sidelined her for much of two years.
In her acceptance speech, Putellas highlighted the support she received from her family and friends during her recovery. She also noted that five of the 10 finalists for the women’s award played for Barcelona.
“I had a tough time and had to learn to walk again on my knee and you were all there for me, helping me to enjoy the sport again and make me the player I am today,” she said.
Putellas’ Spain teammate and former Barcelona colleague, Aitana Bonmati, missed significant playing time last year because of a broken leg and was left off the shortlist. Other nominees included Manchester City forward Khadija “Bunny” Shaw of Jamaica and Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor of Poland.
Barcelona’s Vicky López won the women’s Kopa Trophy for the second consecutive year, while Yamal claimed the men’s award. Barcelona women’s coach Pere Romeu and Spain men’s coach Luis de la Fuente were named Coaches of the Year.
Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll and Spain’s Unai Simón won the women’s and men’s Goalkeeper of the Year awards, respectively. Barcelona’s women’s team was named Club of the Year, while Paris Saint-Germain received the men’s honour.
Spain had a strong presence at the ceremony, with eight of the 12 award winners associated with Spanish clubs or national teams. Spain’s men’s team was also represented among the winners through Yamal, coach Luis de la Fuente and goalkeeper Simón.
The ceremony, which was delayed by 45 minutes, drew audible boos from some attendees during a commercial break before the women’s award was announced.
The lengthy event followed the premature publication of articles on the official Ballon d’Or website that appeared to identify Kane, Mbappe and Yamal as winners hours before the final results were announced. The articles, reportedly prepared for different possible outcomes, were deleted before the ceremony.
Boluwatife Enome
Follow us on:
