Harry Kane wins the Ballon d'Or, the first Englishman to do so since Michael Owen in 2001
The Bayern Munich and England striker finished ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal at the ceremony in London, while Alexia Putellas won the women's award for a third time.
Harry Kane has been named the best men's footballer in the world, winning the 2026 Ballon d'Or at a ceremony in London on Monday night.
The 33-year-old is the fifth English player to take the award, which is organised by France Football magazine. Stanley Matthews won the first one in 1956, followed by Bobby Charlton in 1966, Kevin Keegan in 1978 and 1979, and Michael Owen in 2001.
Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid and France came second, and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal was third. Rodri was fourth and Lionel Messi fifth. Paris Saint-Germain had three players in the top 10, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé and Fabián Ruiz, and Kane's Bayern teammate Michael Olise was ninth.
Manchester City's Erling Haaland, in eighth, was the highest-placed player from a Premier League club.
Kane also collected the Gerd Müller Trophy for the year's best striker. He spoke to Sky Sports afterwards and thanked supporters and Tottenham Hotspur, the club where he made his name before moving to Bayern Munich in 2023.
The other English names
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham finished 11th and Arsenal's Declan Rice 15th. Bukayo Saka won the Socrates Award, which recognises players for their charity and community work. In the women's list, Arsenal's Alessia Russo was ninth and Manchester City's Alex Greenwood 26th.
Putellas makes it three
The women's Ballon d'Or went to Alexia Putellas of Spain, her third win. Ewa Pajor of Poland was second and Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw, who plays for Jamaica, third. Melchie Dumornay of OL Lyonnes was fourth and Barcelona's Patri Guijarro fifth.
Spain and Barcelona did well across the night. Yamal kept the men's young player award, Spain's Luis de la Fuente was named men's coach of the year and Barcelona's Pere Romeu took the women's coaching prize. Barcelona were named women's club of the year, Paris Saint-Germain won the men's club award, and the two goalkeeping awards went to Spain's Unai Simón and Cata Coll. Vicky López, another Barcelona player, won the women's young player award.
