Kane Wins First English Ballon d'Or in 25 Years; Putellas Ties Women's Record

Key points

• Harry Kane, 33, won the men's Ballon d'Or after scoring 73 goals for Bayern Munich and England in the 2025-26 season, including 36 in the Bundesliga and six at the World Cup.
• Kane led Bayern Munich to a second consecutive league title and a domestic double, while helping England finish third at the World Cup, their best result in 60 years.
• Alexia Putellas, 32, won the women's Ballon d'Or for the third time, tying Aitana Bonmatí for the most wins in the award's history. She had previously won in 2021 and 2022.
• Kylian Mbappé finished second in the men's voting despite scoring 10 goals at the World Cup and 42 in all club competitions, as Real Madrid failed to win any trophies.
• Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for best young player for the third consecutive year, finishing third in the men's Ballon d'Or voting.

Background

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony marked the 70th anniversary of the award, held at the London Palladium to honor the inaugural winner, Stanley Matthews. This was the third consecutive year a first-time winner claimed the men's prize, continuing a trend of parity after the dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo between 2008 and 2023. On the women's side, Putellas ended the three-year reign of Aitana Bonmatí, who was not on the shortlist due to a leg injury sustained in December 2025.

How outlets are covering it

Bleacher Report emphasized Kane's status as one of the elite strikers of his generation and noted the lack of parity on the women's side, where Putellas has won three times. AP News highlighted Kane's emotional speech about resilience and his status as the first English winner in 25 years, noting he passed Gary Lineker as England's all-time leading World Cup scorer. FOX Sports focused on the pre-ceremony website error by France Football, which mistakenly published articles listing Kane, Mbappé, and Yamal as winners hours before the event. All sources agreed on the final results but differed in emphasis: Bleacher Report focused on historical context, AP on personal narrative, and FOX Sports on the organizational mishap.

Why it matters

Kane's victory ends a 25-year drought for Englishmen in the Ballon d'Or, signaling a shift in the award's landscape away from the Messi-Ronaldo era. Putellas' third win cements her legacy as one of the most decorated players in women's football history. The pre-ceremony website error raised questions about the organization's handling of the event, though it did not affect the final outcome.

What to watch

Kane is scheduled to return to Bayern Munich for training on Tuesday ahead of a cup game on Wednesday. Putellas, who joined London City Lionesses in the offseason, will continue her career with the new club. The Ballon d'Or voting process for 2027 will likely feature a new field of contenders, with Mbappé and Yamal expected to remain strong candidates.