Footballers Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas win Ballon d’Or 2026
By Shivani Dubey | 27 October 2026 | Culture, Sport
With the Ballon d’Or, England’s Harry Kane and Spain’s Alexia Putellas have taken home the biggest individual honour in the world of football
On Monday, 26 October, football players from around the world gathered in London for the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, where England’s Harry Kane and Spain’s Alexia Putellas were awarded what is the highest individual honour in the world of football.
Harry Kane, dressed in Thom Sweeney, became the first English player in 25 years to take home the trophy. Meanwhile, this was Alexia’s third time winning this prestigious award, equalling the record with fellow Spaniard Aitana Bonmati.
When a visibly emotional Harry Kane took the stage, he made sure to thank England, his former club Tottenham Hotspur and current club Bayern Munich, before alluding to the hard work it took for him to get here.
“It’s just the journey. For any young boy or girl who wants to achieve their dream, anything is possible. I hope my journey, it wasn’t straightforward, I didn’t go straight to the top, I had to experience a lot of loan moves and fight my way to get to where I am now. I hope that can give you inspiration, and thank you very much,” he said as he accepted the award.
Alexia, who made a remarkable return to football after suffering a career-threatening anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in 2022, said some encouraging words of wisdom while accepting her award.
“All the boys and girls around the world – if you love football and if you want to play football, play football. It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or if you’re a girl,” she said. “Doesn’t matter where you come from. Don’t listen if someone tells you, you can’t do it. Believe in yourself.”
The Ballon d’Or is given by a jury of 100 football specialist journalists, each representing one of the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings, brought together by France Football. This year, the Ballon d’O celebrated its 70th anniversary at the London Palladium, and paid tribute to English footballer Sir Stanley Matthews, who was the very first winner of the trophy in 1956.
The winners were awarded their trophies from the Louis Vuitton trophy trunk, strengthening the partnership between the brand and Ballon d’Or.
Images: Louis Vuitton, Thom Sweeney and Jeff Spicer – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
