Harry Kane becomes first Englishman in 25 years to win Ballon d'Or
Kane was followed in the voting by Kylian Mbappé. Spain star Alexia Putellas won her third women's Ballon d'Or. Outside, fans packed the streets and climbed light poles near the London Palladium.
Bayern Munich striker and England captain Harry Kane was announced as the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner on Monday at a ceremony held at the London Palladium. The 33-year-old is the first Englishman to receive the honour in 25 years, since Michael Owen in 2001. Kane followed Kylian Mbappé in the voting, with Lamine Yamal finishing third, according to Punch and The Indian Express. The award was presented by Ronaldo Nazário.
In the women's category, Spain's Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d'Or for a third time. The Indian Express reports that Putellas ended Aitana Bonmatí's three-year hold on the title. NPR noted that fans gathered near the London Palladium to celebrate the event.
Kane's recent achievements include becoming the fastest player to reach 100 Bundesliga goals and scoring 73 goals for club and country last season, according to Malay Mail. Punch reports that Kane expressed his gratitude to voters during his acceptance speech, noting the difficulty of the competition.
Brief written by urgent.news from NPR, Malay Mail, Punch, The Indian Express, Premium Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
