The Englishman from Bayern Munich edged out Mbappé and Lamine Yamal at the London gala. Mexican Charlyn Corral was the first female player from her country honored at the ceremony.
English striker Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or at the gala held on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium in London. France’s Kylian Mbappé finished second and Spain’s Lamine Yamal third, according to the result released after the ceremony.
That same night, Mexican Charlyn Corral, a forward for Pachuca, won the Forward of the Year award, the women’s Gerd Müller Trophy, and became the first Mexican player honored at this gala.
Kane, 73 goals and the first Englishman since 2001
Kane, 33, plays for Bayern Munich. He scored 73 goals in the 2025-26 season across club and country, a figure that also earned him the Forward of the Year award in the men’s category.
He is the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001. The ceremony was the 70th and, according to its records, the first held outside France or Switzerland.
Corral makes history for Mexico
Corral received the Gerd Müller Trophy alongside Kane, who won the men’s equivalent. Upon receiving it she said: “Being the first Mexican woman to win an award.”
Corral’s goal totals for the season vary depending on the outlet reporting them, so they are not published here until the organizers’ official figure is available.
The other winners
- Women’s Ballon d'Or: Spain’s Alexia Putellas, her third award.
- Young Talent: Lamine Yamal (men’s) and Vicky López (women’s).
- Coaches: Luis de la Fuente (men’s) and Pere Romeu (women’s).
- Goalkeepers: Unai Simón and Cata Coll.
- Best club: Paris Saint-Germain (men's) and Barcelona (women's).
- Socrates Award: Bukayo Saka.
What remains to be confirmed
As of publication, the official Ballon d'Or website could not be consulted, so the list is based on the result released after the ceremony. It was also reported that the official site may have shown different winners hours before the ceremony; that point is not confirmed.
