The iconic London Palladium played host to a historic milestone for global football on the evening of October 26, 2026, as France Football’s prestigious Ballon d’Or awards celebrated its 70th anniversary with its first-ever ceremony held in the British capital. The venue was chosen as a tribute to English football legend Stanley Matthews, who claimed the inaugural Ballon d’Or back in 1956, setting the stage for a night of unforgettable recognitions across the men’s and women’s game.
Headlining the star-studded event was England men’s national team captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who lifted the men’s Ballon d’Or after a record-breaking campaign that saw him notch an extraordinary 73 goals across appearances for his club and country. The accolade cements Kane’s status as one of the most prolific forwards in modern football history, and marks the first time an English player has won the award since Michael Owen took home the trophy in 2001, representing a career-defining milestone for the veteran attacker.
In the women’s category, Spanish midfield maestro Alexia Putellas secured her third women’s Ballon d’Or, adding to back-to-back wins she earned in 2021 and 2022. The decorated playmaker enjoyed a trophy-laden final season with FC Barcelona before completing a high-profile summer transfer to English side London City Lionesses in July 2026. During her acceptance speech, Putellas dedicated the honor to her former Barcelona teammates, coaching and medical staff, and fanbase, emphasizing that no individual award can ever be separated from the collective effort of a team.
The evening’s supporting awards were dominated by Spanish football talent and FC Barcelona’s elite talent pipeline. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal claimed the men’s Young Player of the Year honor for the third consecutive year, beating out his Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsí, and humbly noted during his address that his fellow nominee was equally deserving of the recognition. Barcelona’s Vicky López took home the women’s Young Player of the Year award for the second year running.
Additional Spanish clean sweeps included the men’s Coach of the Year prize, awarded to Spain’s national men’s team manager Luis de la Fuente after he led the nation to the 2026 FIFA World Cup title, while Barcelona’s Pere Romeu was named women’s Coach of the Year. Both top goalkeeper honors went to Spanish talent too: Athletic Bilbao and Spain men’s national shot-stopper Unai Simón took the men’s award, and Barcelona’s Cata Coll claimed the women’s equivalent. FC Barcelona was crowned Women’s Club of the Year, while reigning European powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain earned the Men’s Club of the Year title after another dominant campaign.
One of the night’s most heartfelt moments came with the presentation of the Sócrates Award, the honor launched in 2022 to recognize professional footballers’ outstanding commitment to humanitarian and community work. Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka received the award for his transformative work with the BigShoe charity, which funds life-saving specialized medical surgeries for underserved children across Africa who would otherwise lack access to critical care. Saka dedicated the award to every young patient supported by the initiative, noting that the honor underscores top athletes’ unique ability to drive positive change far beyond the boundaries of the football pitch.
Voted on by an international panel of leading sports journalists evaluating player performances across the full preceding season, the 2026 Ballon d’Or edition added a landmark new chapter to the 70-year history of the world’s most celebrated individual football honor, celebrating both unprecedented on-pitch excellence and the growing social impact of elite athletes.