Kane wins 2026 Ballon d'Or and top scorer award
Harry Kane, 33, lifted the 2026 Ballon d'Or at the London Palladium Theatre, also taking the top scorer award. The Bayern Munich striker became the fifth Englishman to win the award, surpassing Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal.
Confusion and drama at the gala
The ceremony took place on October 26, 2026, just before midnight, in London. Three articles published on the official award website mistakenly announced Kane, Mbappé and Yamal as winners, creating noise before the official presentation. The event marked the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or, organized by France Football.
Kane surpasses Dembélé and Mbappé
Kane, Bayern Munich striker, arrived at the ceremony after a season with the German treble: Bundesliga, German Cup and Supercup. He scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga and 61 in all competitions, earning the European Golden Boot as the top scorer of the continental leagues. With these numbers he surpassed the 2025 winner, Ousmane Dembélé, who had amassed 1,380 points in the Ballon d'Or voting.
Kylian Mbappé, of Real Madrid, recorded 50 goals across LaLiga, Champions League and the World Cup, and earned his second World Golden Boot with 10 goals, climbing from seventh to second place in the ranking. Lamine Yamal, of Barcelona, finished the 2025‑26 season with 26 goals and 21 assists, winning the World Cup, LaLiga and the Supercup with Spain, although he dropped one place compared to 2025, when he finished second behind Dembélé. At 19, Yamal still has the chance to become the first player under 21 to win the Ballon d'Or in the 2027 edition.
At the World Cup, Kane scored six goals in seven matches, leading England to the semi‑final and securing the bronze medal. His international performance, combined with the successful club campaign, was decisive for journalists to rank him above his rivals in the Ballon d'Or voting.
Historical records of the Ballon d'Or
Since the first edition in 1956, won by Englishman Stanley Matthews, the Ballon d'Or has been claimed by 48 different players. Lionel Messi holds the record for most awards, with eight, while Cristiano Ronaldo has five. Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten share third place with three awards each. Rodri finished in fourth place, followed by Lionel Messi in fifth. Kane adds to the list of English winners, which includes Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979) and Michael Owen (2001), being the first to achieve it since Owen.