Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or 2026

Harry Kane wins Ballon d’Or 2026 – first Englishman to win prestigious trophy in 25 years

The 33-yeear-old Bayern Munich striker, Harry Kane, is the fifth Englishman to win in total. Others have been Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966) and Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979).

Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe finished second. While Barcelona and Spain attacker Lamine Yamal completed the top three.

Two hours into a lavishly excitable ceremony at the Palladium Theatre in London, Kane’s name emerged from the final envelope to wild cheers inside the auditorium.

The women’s Ballon d’Or, awarded moments earlier, was won by Alexia Putellas of London City Lionesses, a third Ballon, five years on from her first in the colours of Barcelona.

In the men’s voting, Kane finished ahead of co-favourites Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid, an outcome that will perhaps cause the familiar consternation among the hierarchy of those clubs, not to mention the vast online fan army attached to the superstar players in Kane’s wake.