Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas Claim 2026 Ballon D’ors
WHO:
Daily Mail Sports - Harry Kane, England captain and Bayern Munich striker, won the men’s Ballon d’Or.
CNN - Kane beat Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal for the men’s award.
CNN - Alèxia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time; the 32-year-old captained Barcelona Femení.
CNN - Lamine Yamal, aged 19, was named Young Talent of the Year for the third consecutive time. Barcelona’s Vicky López won Women’s Young Talent of the Year for the second consecutive time.
CNN - Spain manager Luis de la Fuente won Men’s Coach of the Year; Barcelona Femení’s manager won Women’s Coach of the Year.
Sportskeeda - Kane and Putellas received the men’s and women’s awards, respectively.
Sportskeeda - Kane was the first English player to win the men’s award since Michael Owen in 2001.
WHAT:
CNN - Kane scored 73 goals in 65 competitive matches for club and country and won a league-and-cup double with Bayern Munich.
CNN - Kane said, “It being here in London as well has made it extra special,” and thanked voters, adding, “I can imagine it was really tough this year – some incredible players I was up against.”
CNN - Putellas’s Barcelona Femení won four trophies: the league title, two domestic cups, and the Women’s Champions League. She said, “It was my honor to be your captain.”
CNN - Yamal won La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain.
CNN - Hundreds of children damaged security barriers and climbed buildings to get a better view of players arriving.
CNN - Men’s and women’s awards are decided by selected journalists voting for their nations; each ranks 10 players, with points assigned in descending order.
Sportskeeda - The 2026 awards were presented at the London Palladium on Monday.
WHERE:
CNN - The ceremony took place at London’s historic Palladium Theatre; guests arrived on a red carpet.
CNN - Putellas signed for London City Lionesses in England.
WHEN:
CNN - Putellas signed for London City Lionesses “this summer.”
CNN - Kane was the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001.
Sportskeeda - The award presentation was described as taking place “on Monday.”
WHY:
CNN - Putellas’s win followed a dominant season with Barcelona Femení, which CNN described as having “unrivaled success.”
CNN - Yamal’s Young Talent award followed a trophy-winning season for club and country.
HOW:
CNN - The ceremony was delayed by rain and traffic in London.
CNN - Kane was cheered onto the stage by a home crowd chanting “Harry, Harry.”
CNN - Putellas said, “Congrats to all the nominees, congrats to all the winners,” and noted, “That so many Barça players were nominated says a lot about the season we had.”
Harry Kane won the men’s Ballon d’Or, beating Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to become the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001. Kane scored 73 goals in 65 matches and won a league-and-cup double with Bayern Munich, while Alèxia Putellas claimed the women’s award for the third time after captaining Barcelona Femení to four trophies. Yamal was named Young Talent of the Year for the third consecutive time, and the awards ceremony took place at London’s Palladium Theatre.