The winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or is Harry Kane. Kane, 33, was crowned on Monday, October 26, as soccer’s biggest stars gathered in London for the 70th annual awards ceremony.
The prestigious prize, presented by France Football magazine since 1956, recognizes the best player in men’s soccer, with a panel of journalists from the top 100-ranked countries in the sport voting on the winner.
The award marked the first Ballon d’Or for the FC Bayern Munich striker and captain of the England national football team, who was emotional as he held up the coveted prize, making him just one of four English players to ever win the award.
“First of all, I’m almost speechless. Being here in London as well has made it extra special and looked like a good omen for me tonight, so thank you very much. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I can imagine it was really tough this year, some of the incredible players I was up against, some of my teammates, some world-class players in the room tonight,” Kane gushed, thanking both his Bayern Munich and England teammates. “Congratulations to all the winners, all the nominees tonight. An impressive showing of what determination and hard work can really achieve, so well done.”
Kane finished the speech by thanking his wife, Kate Goodland, their four children, and her family, as well as his parents, for the instrumental role they’ve played in his career.
Kane was presented with the award by Brazilian legend Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, mononymously known as Ronaldo, who was also given his flowers Monday night with a tribute ahead of the trophy presentation.
Host Thierry Henry also congratulated Kane following the win, praising his work ethic and calling him a “worthy winner.” In addition to winning the Ballon d’Or, Kane also took home the Striker of the Year trophy Monday.
Last year, Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele took home the coveted trophy, joining an elite group of players to earn the honor. Dembele, 29, was nominated again this year, among a tough group of competitors that featured nine of his PSG teammates, including Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha.
Lionel Messi, who holds the record with eight Ballon d’Or wins, was also in contention, along with Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.
While Yamal, 19, didn’t win the top prize Monday night, he did walk away with a trophy, with the Spanish World Cup winner taking home the men’s Young Player of the Year award.
As for the top club, PSG did emerge victorious Monday, taking home the trophy for Men’s Club of the Year following a season that saw the team win their second straight UEFA Champions League title. Dembele accepted the award for the team, which was up against Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Flamengo and Bodo/Glimt for one of the night’s biggest trophies.
One of the biggest overall winners of the night, however, was Spain, with the country taking home awards on both the men’s and women’s sides, including Spain star player Alexia Putellas, who won the Ballon d’Or Féminin for the third time Monday. Goalkeeper of the Year awards also went to Spanish stars Unai Simón and Cata Coll, with FC Barcelona’s women’s team taking home the Club of the Year award.
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