Harry Kane becomes first Englishman in 25 years to win Ballon d’Or

Harry Kane has won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or, becoming the first English player to receive the award in 25 years. Sky Sports, the Bundesliga and The Independent Football all reported the victory for the Bayern Munich striker and England captain. The award places Kane at the top of a field that included Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé.

The Independent reported that Kane defeated both players for the prize. The supplied coverage does not include the vote totals, the final number of candidates or the specific matches and statistics considered by the voters. Kane’s victory was also recorded by UEFA in its live coverage of the ceremony.

The Bundesliga’s official website identified him as Bayern Munich’s winner, confirming the club affiliation attached to the award. Sky Sports highlighted the length of the wait since an English player last received the men’s Ballon d’Or. The recognition comes in a ceremony that also honoured Alexia Putellas in the women’s category.

Reuters Sport and the BBC reported that Putellas won the Women’s Ballon d’Or for a record-equalling third time. Her previous victories came in 2021 and 2022. Putellas returned to the top of women’s football after an anterior cruciate ligament injury interrupted her career.

Channels Television reported that she later helped Barcelona reclaim the Champions League before moving to London City Lionesses. She had been eclipsed in the awards by teammate Aitana Bonmatí, who won three successive prizes from 2023 to 2025. The London move has given the ceremony an additional English football connection.

Putellas joined London City Lionesses, an independent team owned by Michele Kang, and has helped the club make a strong start in the Women’s Super League. The team is reported to sit behind Chelsea and Manchester City and above Arsenal. Putellas has described the move as a new chapter rather than an attempt to recreate her Barcelona career.

She said she wanted a completely different experience and hoped to bring a winning culture to a developing club. The move may also reduce her workload before Spain’s attempt to retain the World Cup next year. The available reports agree on Kane’s historic status but offer different levels of detail.

Sky Sports and the Bundesliga concentrate on the award and his Bayern connection, while The Independent supplies the nearest competitors. None of the reports provided here sets out the full men’s standings or explains the voting process behind the result.