Harry Kane secured the Ballon d’Or for the first time, receiving the prestigious award Monday evening at the London Palladium Theater.
The English international earned the recognition following an extraordinary season (2025/26) with FC Bayern Munich. Kane scored a total of 61 goals across all competitions for the German club, helping them clinch the German Double (German Championship and DFB-Pokal). His exceptional goal-scoring record includes 36 goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances, 10 goals in six DFB-Pokal matches, and 14 goals in 13 Champions League appearances. Despite strong performance, FC Bayern was eliminated in the semi-finals by the eventual title winner, Paris Saint-Germain. His campaign included beating high-profile rivals such as Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid and Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona.
In other categories, Unai Simón of Athletic Bilbao was awarded the title of Best Goalkeeper, defeating rivals David Raya of Arsenal and Gregor Kobel of Borussia Dortmund.
Best Coach was presented to Spanish national team manager Luis de la Fuente, who outperformed Mikel Arteta of Arsenal and Unai Emery of Aston Villa.
In women’s football, Alexia Putellas won the individual award once again. The attacking midfielder, who has represented the Spanish national team since 2013 and is contracted to London City Lionesses as of 2026, was previously named “World Footballer of the Year” in both 2021 and 2022. Best Female Goalkeeper was won by Cata Coll of FC Barcelona.
The Ballon d’Or is an award conferred annually since 1956 by the French football magazine “France Football” to honor the outstanding players of the preceding football season.
