Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or on Monday, denying Argentina’s Lionel Messi a record ninth award.
The Ballon d’Or is an annual football award that honors the best player of the season, presented by the French magazine France Football since 1956. On its 70th anniversary, the ceremony was held at the London Palladium Theatre to honor England legend Sir Stanley Matthews, the first recipient of the prize.
Kane, the first Ballon d’Or winner since Michael Owen in 2001, gets the nod on the back of a staggering individual campaign where he netted 73 goals across all competitions. The England striker was crowned Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich and took home the European Golden Boot after establishing himself as Europe’s most prolific goalscorer. He also led England to the World Cup semifinals.
Coming into the ceremony, he was one of the biggest favorites alongside Spain’s Lamine Yamal and France’s Kylian Mbappé, with Messi seen as an underdog. Argentina’s Lautaro Martínez was also nominated for the award.
It caps a low-profile season at club level for Messi, who failed to lead Inter Miami to a third straight Leagues Cup final. However, he reached 25 goals and 15 assists in Major League Soccer (MLS), becoming the first player in the league’s history to record 15 or more assists in three consecutive seasons.
The Argentine’s biggest case was his performance at the 2026 World Cup, where he led Argentina to a second back-to-back final, scoring eight goals and assisting four, including two in the Albiceleste’s 2-1 comeback against England.
The Argentine star also confirmed his retirement from the national team in August, following his father’s passing earlier that month. He played his final game with the team on October 6, as they beat Benin 3-0 at River Plate’s Monumental Stadium, with 85,000 fans in the stands.
Women’s Ballon d’Or winner
Alexia Putellas (London Club Lionesses)
Other prizes (men and women)
Kopa Trophy (Best young talent, under 21-years-old): Lamine Yamal and Vicky López
Johan Cruyff Trophy (Best coach): Luis de la Fuente (Spanish National Team) – Pere Romeu (Barcelona Femení)
Yashin Trophy (Best goalkeeper): Unaí Simon and Cata Cole
Sócrates Award (Recognition for social work projects and commitment to solidarity in football): Bukayp Saka
Club of the Year: Paris Saint Germain and FC Barcelona
Gerd Müller Trophy (Top scorer): Harry Kane and Charlyn Corral
Complete list of men’s Ballon d’Or:
1-Harry Kane (Bayern Munich – England)
2-Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid – France)
3- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona – Spain)
4- Rodri (Manchester City – Spain)
5-Lionel Messi (Inter Miami – Argentina)
6- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG – Georgia)
7- Ousmane Dembélé (PSG – France)
8- Erling Haaland (Manchester City – Norway)
9- Michael Olisé (Bayern Munich – France)
10- Fabián Ruíz (PSG – Spain)
11-Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid – England)
12-Pau Cubarsí (FC Barcelona – Spain)
13-Achraf Hakimi (París Saint-Germain – Morocco)
14-Vitinha (París Saint-Germain – Portugal)
15-Declan Rice (Arsenal – England)
16-Ferrán Torres (FC Barcelona – Spain)
17-Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid – Brazil)
18-Marc Cucurella (Chelsea/Real Madrid – Spain)
19-João Neves (París Saint-Germain – Portugal)
20-William Pacho (París Saint-Germain – Equador)
21-Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal – Brazil)
22-Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milán – Argentina)
23-Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich – Portugal)
25-Marquinhos (París Saint-Germain – Brazil)
26-Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Múnich – France)
27-Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United – Portugal)
28-Julián Quiñones (Al-Qadsiah – México)
29-William Saliba (Arsenal – France)
29-Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr – Senegal)
La entrada Harry Kane beats Messi to 2026 Ballon d’Or se publicó primero en Buenos Aires Herald.