Who won the Ballon d'Or?
Quick answer
Harry Kane of Bayern Munich won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or, and Alexia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or, at a ceremony at the London Palladium on October 26, 2026. It was Kane’s first Ballon d’Or and Putellas’s third.
Key facts
- Men's Ballon d'Or 2026
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
- Women's Ballon d'Or 2026
- Alexia Putellas
- Kopa Trophy (U-21)
- Lamine Yamal (men), Vicky López (women)
- Yashin Trophy (goalkeeper)
- Unai Simón (men), Cata Coll (women)
- Ceremony
- October 26, 2026, London Palladium
Kane won after a prolific season with Bayern Munich, becoming the first England men’s player to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001. The ceremony was held in London for the first time, rather than its traditional home in Paris.
Recent winners
| Year | Men’s winner | Women’s winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Harry Kane | Alexia Putellas |
| 2025 | Ousmane Dembélé | Aitana Bonmatí |
| 2024 | Rodri | Aitana Bonmatí |
| 2023 | Lionel Messi | Aitana Bonmatí |
| 2022 | Karim Benzema | Alexia Putellas |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi | Alexia Putellas |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | Megan Rapinoe |
The 2020 award was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Records
| Record | Holder |
|---|---|
| Most men’s Ballon d’Or wins | Lionel Messi, 8 |
| Second most | Cristiano Ronaldo, 5 |
| Most women’s wins | Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí, 3 each |
What is the Ballon d’Or?
French for “Golden Ball,” the Ballon d’Or was created in 1956 by the French magazine France Football and is widely seen as the most prestigious individual award in football. The women’s prize was added in 2018. Since 2024 it has been organized with UEFA, and winners are chosen by a jury of journalists based on performances over the previous season.
Other awards on the night include the Kopa Trophy for the best young player, the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper and the Gerd Müller Trophy for the top scorer.
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