Kane wins Ballon d’Or and ends England’s long wait
LONDON — Harry Kane has won his first Ballon d’Or, ending a 25-year wait for an English winner, while Alexia Putellas claimed the women’s award for a third time. The Bayern Munich striker became the first Englishman to take the men’s prize since Michael Owen in 2001.
Kane finished ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal at the ceremony at the London Palladium on Monday, 26 October. His victory capped a season of prolific scoring and domestic success with Bayern.
A 73-goal season earns the top prize
Kane scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country during the 2025–26 campaign, including 61 in 51 matches for Bayern as the club won the Bundesliga and German Cup double. The 33-year-old also scored six times at the World Cup, helping England finish third.
The award also ended a lengthy wait for his club. Kane became Bayern’s first Ballon d’Or winner since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981 and the Bundesliga’s first since Matthias Sammer in 1996.
Putellas returns to the top
Putellas’s third women’s title drew her level with Aitana Bonmatí, whose three consecutive victories followed Putellas’s wins in 2021 and 2022. Spanish players have now won six successive editions of the women’s award. as.com
Now playing for London City Lionesses, Putellas earned the recognition after her final season at Barcelona. Her campaign included Champions League success and a Nations League title with Spain, marking another milestone in her return from a serious knee injury in 2022.
Yamal collected his third consecutive men’s Kopa Trophy for the best young player. Unai Simón and Cata Coll took the goalkeeper awards, while Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona received the men’s and women’s club honours respectively.
Mbappé faces sponsorship fallout
A day after finishing runner-up, Mbappé faced a separate commercial setback. Chinese brands Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground announced they were ending their partnerships with him after a video circulated appearing to show him discussing a meme depicting him as Mao Zedong. The companies said the remarks offended national sentiment.
AFP reported that the clip’s authenticity could not immediately be verified. Associated Press said Mbappé’s representatives were not immediately available for comment. The sponsorship decisions were announced after the ceremony; the reporting does not establish that the controversy affected the Ballon d’Or result.
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