England captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has won the Ballon d'Or award for 2026.
The ceremony, which was held at the Palladium in London, saw Kane become the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.
He's also just the fifth English winner after Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Stanley Matthews, Kevin Keegan and Owen, alongside being the first Bayern Munich player to claim the accolade since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge did so in 1981.
The event took place in London to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d'Or, with Matthews named the first ever winner in 1956.
Kane had long been battling Lamine Yamal in the betting, although Kylian Mbappe was a significant mover in the days leading up to the ceremony - he was made odds-on just hours before the announcement despite being 25/1 a week earlier.
Kane's 2025/26 campaign delivered a staggering 61 goals in 51 appearances across all appearances for Bayern, a return which helped them claim the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal (Germany's primary cup competition).
He also scored six times as England achieved their best World Cup finish since 1966, as the Three Lions earned the bronze medal with a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in the third place play-off.
Mbappe's ten goals saw him claiming the Golden Boot in North America. His domestic campaign prior to the tournament returned 42 goals in 44 games for Real Madrid.
HARRY KANE IS THE 2026 BALLON D'OR! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/k3CUlwLF1E
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) October 26, 2026
The top ten in the Ballon d'Or 2026 voting
- Harry Kane
- Kylian Mbappé
- Lamine Yamal
- Rodri
- Lionel Messi
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Erling Haaland
- Michael Olise
- Fabián Ruiz
On receiving the award, Kane said: "I am almost speechless. Being here in London has made it extra special. Made it a good omen for me tonight. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I can imagine it was tough this year.
"Some world-class players in the room tonight. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees tonight and impressive showing what determination and hard work can really achieve."
London City Lionesses and Spain star Alexia Putellas claimed the Ballon d'Or Féminin for a third time, equalling the record held by international team mate Aitana Bonmatí.
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