By Akinwale Kasali
For 25-Years, after Michael Owen won the coveted Ballon D’Or Awards in 2001, no English Player has replicated the feat.
England had to wait for two decades and five before Harry Edward Kane brought back the glory days to the country where the round leather game originated from.
The 25-year wait for an English winner finally came to an end, with the England captain, Kane, named as the worthy person to win the coveted award.
Kane became the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since 2001 as he pipped Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe to football’s most coveted individual prize.
The England Captain and Bayern Munich striker was the favourite after an astonishing display of goalscoring last season, with 89 goals for club and country in just 81 appearances since the start of last season.
The 33-year-old won the German league and cup double for Bayern while also guiding his club to the Champions League semi-finals, where they lost to winners PSG.
He then led his country to the last four of the World Cup, where they suffered a devastating loss to Argentina.
England nevertheless achieved their best World Cup finish since 1966, coming home with bronze after victory over France in the third-place play-off.
Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan, and Michael Owen were previous winners of the prestigious football award, and, now, Harry Kane, the fifth Englishman to win football’s most prestigious individual prize.
For youngster, Lamine Yamal, he was named the winner of the 2026 Kopa Trophy, the Men’s Young Talent of the Year Award, at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, becoming the first player to claim the award three times.
The Barcelona winger previously won the prize in 2024 and 2025, and has now completed a hat-trick after another successful year for club and country.
Yamal beat competition from several emerging talents, including Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsi, PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery, and Real Madrid’s Yan Diomande to retain the award recognising the best young player in world football.
Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas won the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or, claiming the prestigious individual award for the third time in her career.
Putellas, one of the most decorated players in women’s football, previously won the award in 2021 and 2022, becoming the first woman to claim the Women’s Ballon d’Or in consecutive years.
Her latest triumph further strengthens her legacy as one of the leading figures in the women’s game, following years of success with Barcelona and the Spain national team.
The midfielder has played a key role in Barcelona’s dominance in domestic and European competitions, earning recognition for her technical ability, creativity and leadership.
The winners Are:
Men’s Ballon d’Or: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/England)
Women’s Ballon d’Or: Alexia Putellas (London City Lionesses/Spain)
Men’s Young Talent of the Year — Kopa Trophy: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona/Spain)
Women’s Young Talent of the Year: Vicky Lopez (Barcelona/Spain)
Men’s Coach of the Year: Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
Women’s Coach of the Year: Pere Romeu (Barcelona)
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year — Yashin Trophy: Unai Simón (Athletic Club/Spain)
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Cata Coll (Barcelona/Spain)
Men’s Best Striker — Gerd Müller Trophy: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/England)
Women’s Best Striker: Charlyn Corral
Socrates Award: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal/England)
Men’s Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain
Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona Femeni.
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