By Sabiu Abdullahi
England striker Harry Kane and Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas have emerged as the winners of the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or awards at the 2026 ceremony held at the London Palladium in England.
Kane claimed the men’s award, finishing ahead of France captain Kylian Mbappé and Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who placed second and third respectively.
Putellas secured the women’s honour, with Poland’s Ewa Pajor finishing second and Jamaica’s Khadija Shaw taking third place.
The ceremony, which marked the 70th edition of the prestigious football awards, also recognised outstanding performances across several categories, including young players, goalkeepers, coaches and clubs.
Other award winners
According to the published list of winners, the other major honours went to the following recipients:
– Men’s Young Talent of the Year: Lamine Yamal
– Women’s Young Talent of the Year: Vicky López
– Men’s Coach of the Year: Luis de la Fuente
– Women’s Coach of the Year: Pere Romeu
– Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Unai Simón
– Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Cata Coll
– Men’s Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
– Women’s Club of the Year: FC Barcelona Femení
– Sócrates Award: Bukayo Saka
– Men’s Gerd Müller Trophy: Harry Kane
– Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy: Charlyn Corral
Men’s Ballon d’Or top 10
The top 10 positions in the men’s rankings were:
1. Harry Kane
2. Kylian Mbappé
3. Lamine Yamal
4. Rodri
5. Lionel Messi
6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
7. Ousmane Dembélé
8. Erling Haaland
9. Michael Olise
10. Fabián Ruiz
Other notable names in the rankings included Jude Bellingham in 11th place, Achraf Hakimi in 13th, Declan Rice in 15th, Vinícius Júnior in 17th and Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes in 27th.
Senegalese forward Sadio Mané also featured in the rankings, sharing 29th place with William Saliba.
Women’s Ballon d’Or top 10
The top 10 positions in the women’s rankings were:
1. Alexia Putellas
2. Ewa Pajor
3. Khadija Shaw
4. Melchie Dumornay
5. Patri Guijarro
6. Caroline Graham Hansen
7. Pernille Harder
8. Claudia Pina
9. Alessia Russo
10. Temwa Chawinga
Other players recognised included Zambia’s Barbra Banda, who finished 18th, and Nigeria-born Malawi international Temwa Chawinga, who placed 10th, according to the published rankings.
The results highlighted the achievements of established stars and emerging talents across men’s and women’s football, with the Ballon d’Or remaining one of the sport’s most prominent individual honours.
The Daily Reality
