Paris Saint-Germain Best Men's Club and Barcelona Best Women's Club at 2026 Ballon d'Or Awards

- Spanish player Alexia Putellas named best player in the world; Lamine Yamal and Vicky Lopez named best young male and female players

- Paris Saint-Germain named best men’s club and Barcelona best women’s club; Luis de la Fuente and Romeo best coaches

English star Harry Kane, Bayern Munich striker, won the 2026 Ballon d’Or for the world’s best male player for the first time in his career, while Spain’s Alexia Putellas claimed the award for the world’s best female player for the third time, during the annual ceremony held on Monday evening in London, the UK capital.

Kane became the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, ending a 25-year wait, after outperforming his main rivals, including France’s Kylian Mbappé and Spain’s Lamine Yamal.

The 33-year-old English striker’s triumph came after an exceptional season in which he scored 73 goals for Bayern Munich and his national team, including 61 goals in 51 matches for the German club, helping them secure the domestic double of the league and cup titles.

Kane also scored six goals for England at the 2026 World Cup, contributing to their run to the semi-finals, further bolstering his chances of winning football’s most prestigious individual award.

Kane’s achievements did not stop at the Ballon d’Or; he also won the Gerd Müller Award for the world’s top scorer, collecting two major honors in a single night in recognition of his prolific scoring throughout the season.

Expressing his great joy after receiving the Ballon d’Or, Kane said that winning the award in London gave the occasion a special significance for him, and he thanked the voters amid strong competition among the nominees.

Putellas claims third title

In the women’s category, Spain’s Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d’Or for the world’s best female player for the third time in her career, having previously won the award in 2021 and 2022.

Putellas’ victory followed a standout season with Spanish club Barcelona, during which she helped the team secure the domestic treble, in addition to the Spanish Super Cup, before her move last July to London City Lionesses in England, after 14 years with the Catalan side.

Other awards

The ceremony also saw Spain’s Lamine Yamal, a Barcelona player, win the Kopa Trophy for the best young male player for the third consecutive year, while his teammate Vicky Lopez claimed the award for the best young female player for the second time in a row.

In the goalkeeper categories, Spain’s Unai Simon, Athletic Bilbao’s goalkeeper, won the Yashin Trophy for the world’s best male goalkeeper, while his compatriot Cata Coll, Barcelona’s goalkeeper, won the award for the best female goalkeeper.

In the coaching awards, Spain’s Luis de la Fuente won the award for best men’s coach after leading his national team to victory at the 2026 World Cup, while his compatriot Piri Romeo, Barcelona’s women’s coach, won the award for best women’s coach.

In the club awards, France’s Paris Saint-Germain was named the world’s best men’s club, while Spain’s Barcelona won the award for the best women’s club.

Mexico’s Charlene Coral won the Gerd Müller Award for the world’s top female scorer, while England’s Bukayo Saka, an Arsenal player, received the Socrates Award in recognition of his contributions to humanitarian and social initiatives.

The 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or ceremony was held at the London Palladium for the first time in the UK capital, after the event had historically been associated with Paris, France.