Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career, finishing ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal.
The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony was held at London's Palladium Theatre, marking the first time the event took place outside Paris in tribute to Stanley Matthews, the English footballer who won the inaugural award in 1956.
Hosted by Thierry Henry and Kate Scott, the ceremony began 45 minutes late due to heavy traffic in central London.
Mbappe finished second in the voting, while Yamal secured third place.
In the women's category, Spanish star Alexia Putellas claimed her third Ballon d'Or after previously winning in 2021 and 2022.
The 33-year-old became the first English player to win the prestigious award since Michael Owen in 2001.
Kane also became the fifth English footballer to receive the honor, joining Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen.
He is the first Bayern Munich player to win the award since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claimed consecutive titles in 1980 and 1981.
Kane enjoyed an outstanding 2025-26 season, scoring 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich, setting a club record for goals in a single campaign.
The England captain also scored six goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, helping his national team secure third place in the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
