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Harry Kane named Ballon d'Or winner in London, ending England's 25-year wait

Alexia Putellas claims third women's title as ceremony delayed by traffic and premature posts

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published27 October 2026

Updated27 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources3 outlets

Harry Kane ended England's 25-year drought by winning the men's Ballon d'Or at a ceremony in London, where he thanked his Bayern Munich teammates and his wife, Kate. The women's award went to Spain's Alexia Putellas for the third time. The event at the London Palladium was delayed by 45 minutes due to traffic, and organisers faced embarrassment after accidentally publishing articles that suggested a winner beforehand.

Kane's triumph

Kane, who scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for Bayern Munich and England last season, became the first English male winner since Michael Owen in 2001. He also received the Gerd Müller Trophy for being the season's top goalscorer, presented by Alan Shearer.

In his acceptance speech, Kane said, "Wow, I'm almost speechless. First of all, thanks again to France Football and the Ballon d'Or for this amazing event. Being in London, it is extra special, it felt like a good omen." He thanked his teammates, England, and his former club Tottenham, but reserved special praise for his wife Kate: "You are my biggest support and I felt like you wanted this more than me... This wouldn't be possible without you."

Kane encouraged young players, saying his journey was not straightforward and involved many loan moves before reaching the top.

Putellas makes it three

Alexia Putellas won her third women's Ballon d'Or after a stellar season with Barcelona that included a domestic quadruple and the Champions League. She scored 26 goals and provided 15 assists in 53 games. Putellas moved to London City Lionesses in July. She became the second woman to win the award three times, joining compatriot Aitana Bonmatí.

Other awards

Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the best young male player for the third consecutive year, with Vicky Lopez winning the women's equivalent. Spain manager Luis de la Fuente was named men's coach of the year, ahead of Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery. Unai Simon and Cata Coll took the goalkeeper prizes. Arsenal's Bukayo Saka received the Socrates award for humanitarian work.

Ceremony hiccups

The start of the evening was marred when France Football accidentally posted three articles that appeared to reveal one of the three finalists as the winner. The ceremony itself was delayed by 45 minutes as stars struggled through London traffic to reach the venue.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

Kane's award ends a 25-year wait for an English male winner, cementing his place among the sport's greats.
Putellas' triumph continues Spanish dominance in the women's category, with no non-Spanish winner since 2019.
The organisational glitches, leaked articles and traffic delays, raised questions about the event's planning.

Background

The Ballon d'Or, awarded by French magazine France Football since 1956, is one of football's most prestigious individual honours. Michael Owen was the last English male winner in 2001, and previous English winners include Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan. Kane joined Bayern Munich from Tottenham in 2023 and has been the Bundesliga's top scorer for three consecutive seasons. Putellas spent 14 years at Barcelona before joining London City Lionesses in July 2026.

What to Watch

Kane's performances for England in the upcoming World Cup qualification matches.
How Putellas adapts to the Women's Super League with London City Lionesses.
Whether France Football will address the controversy at next year's ceremony.

Sources

Kane becomes first Englishman in 25 years to win Ballon d'Or and Putellas wins her third · Philadelphia Inquirer
Ballon d'Or: Kane and Putellas take top awards · RTÉ News
England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or · DW English

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 11 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedHarry Kane won the men’s Ballon d’Or in London, ending England’s 25-year wait.DW English: “England captain Harry Kane won the men's Ballon d'Or for the first time on Monday, becoming the first English player to receive the prestigious football award since 2001.”
SupportedAlexia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time.RTÉ News: “Spain's Alexia Putellas won her third Ballon d'Or”
SupportedThe ceremony was delayed by 45 minutes because of traffic.RTÉ News: “The ceremony was further delayed by 45 minutes as football's biggest stars struggled to get to London's Palladium due to heavy traffic in the city.”
Partly supportedFrance Football accidentally published three articles that appeared to reveal a winner beforehand, leaving organisers embarrassed.RTÉ News: “The start of the evening was mired in controversy when organisers France Football accidentally posted three articles that seemed to indicate one of Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe or Harry Kane had won the evening's top men's prize.”
SupportedKane scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for Bayern Munich and England last season.DW English: “The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker was honored at a ceremony at the London Palladium after scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country last season.”
SupportedKane was the first English male winner since Michael Owen in 2001.RTÉ News: “Michael Owen was the last player from England to receive the prestigious individual accolade in 2001”
SupportedKane said: “Wow, I'm almost speechless. First of all, thanks again to France Football and the Ballon d'Or for this amazing event. Being in London, it is extra special, it felt like a good omen.”RTÉ News: ““Wow, I'm almost speechless,” Kane said on stage. “First of all, thanks again to France Football and the Ballon d’Or for this amazing event. Being in London, it is extra special, it felt like a good omen.””
SupportedKane told his wife Kate, “You are my biggest support and I felt like you wanted this more than me... This wouldn't be possible without you.”RTÉ News: ““You are my biggest support and I felt like you wanted this more than me.” / “This wouldn’t be possible without you and it is something we can celebrate, not me.””
SupportedKane received the Gerd Müller Trophy for the season’s top goalscorer, presented by Alan Shearer.RTÉ News: “Kane was also presented with the Gerd Muller Trophy by Alan Shearer for his 73-goal haul last season.”
SupportedPutellas scored 26 goals and provided 15 assists in 53 games.RTÉ News: “Over the course of 53 games last season, Putellas scored 26 goals and provided 15 assists with Barcelona.”
SupportedPutellas’s Barcelona season included a domestic quadruple and the Champions League.RTÉ News: “Putellas won the domestic quadruple and the Champions League (UWCL) with Barcelona in the 2025-26 campaign”
SupportedLamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year.DW English: “Barcelona's Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the best young male player for the third consecutive year”