Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or at the London Palladium on 26 October, London time, with his name read out at 05:51 on 27 October in Vietnam, according to Tuổi Trẻ. VnExpress reported that the 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker is the first England player to win the award in 25 years, since Michael Owen in 2001. Alexia Putellas took the women's prize for a third time, and Spanish football collected most of the other awards.
Kane beats Mbappé and Yamal
Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazário, the 1997 and 2002 winner, presented the trophy. Kane beat Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, the two heavyweight rivals named by Tuổi Trẻ, while VnExpress also listed 2025 winner Ousmane Dembélé among those he overcame. The rest of the top 10 announced by the organisers before the gala, per Tuổi Trẻ, were Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Michael Olise, Rodri, Fabián Ruiz and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
VnExpress described Kane covering his face in disbelief and taking a deep breath before walking up, as the hall chanted “Harry, Harry, Harry”. Many Tottenham fans were in the theatre, and the cheering returned when he thanked Tottenham.
Earlier in the ceremony he collected the Gerd Müller Trophy as the year's best male striker after 73 goals in 65 games for club and England, a figure both VnExpress and Tuổi Trẻ give. VnExpress says he is the first player to win both awards at the same ceremony. Thanh Niên's preview noted that Kane also helped England finish third at the 2026 World Cup.
Putellas draws level with Bonmatí
Owen presented the women's prize at 05:25, per Tuổi Trẻ. Putellas, a 32-year-old Spain midfielder who also won in 2021 and 2022, now matches compatriot Aitana Bonmatí's three titles, won from 2023 to 2025. Both outlets credit a quadruple with Barcelona: the Champions League, the Spanish league, the cup and the Spanish Super Cup. VnExpress adds that it was her final season after 14 years at Barcelona, before a move to London City Lionesses in summer 2026. On stage she said she was overwhelmed with emotion and began by thanking her teammates. Spain have now held the women's award for six straight years, 2021 to 2026.
Every award, in order
VnExpress had listed a 03:00 to 05:00 schedule. Tuổi Trẻ said the gala opened at 03:49; The Guardian, cited by Tuổi Trẻ, reported that London traffic had made many key guests late. Winners below are from VnExpress and Tuổi Trẻ, with Tuổi Trẻ's timings:
| Time (Vietnam, 27 Oct) | Award | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 03:55 | Kopa Trophy (men) | Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain) |
| 03:55 | Kopa Trophy (women) | Vicky López (Barcelona, Spain) |
| 04:07 | Johan Cruyff Trophy (women's coach) | Pere Romeu (Barcelona) |
| 04:21 | Johan Cruyff Trophy (men's coach) | Luis de la Fuente (Spain) |
| 04:40 | Yashin Trophy (men) | Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao, Spain) |
| 04:40 | Yashin Trophy (women) | Cata Coll (Barcelona, Spain) |
| 04:42 | Socrates Award | Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, England) |
| 04:47 | Women's club of the year | Barcelona (Spain) |
| 04:47 | Men's club of the year | PSG (France) |
| 05:20 | Gerd Müller Trophy (men) | Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England) |
| 05:20 | Gerd Müller Trophy (women) | Charlyn Corral (Pachuca, Mexico) |
| 05:25 | Ballon d'Or (women) | Alexia Putellas (London City Lionesses, Spain) |
| 05:51 | Ballon d'Or (men) | Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England) |
Spanish football won the first seven performance awards, VnExpress noted, until PSG ended the run as men's club of the year for a second year in a row after defending their Champions League title; Dembélé accepted it. Barcelona's women won for the third time in four years, with president Joan Laporta on stage.
De la Fuente, 65, was honoured for leading Spain to the 2026 World Cup, though his award began awkwardly: presenter Rafael Benítez was handed the wrong envelope and passed the card to hosts Thierry Henry and Kate Scott before naming the winner, VnExpress reported. Yamal said on receiving the Kopa that teammate Pau Cubarsí deserved it more, according to Tuổi Trẻ. Saka's Socrates Award recognised his work with the charity BigShoe, which funds operations for disadvantaged children in Nigeria; he said he accepted it on behalf of the many boys and girls they had been able to help, VnExpress reported.
Background: 70 years, and no Messi
VnExpress and Thanh Niên both linked the choice of London to the award's 70th anniversary: France Football's prize was first won by Englishman Stanley Matthews in 1956. VnExpress said it was the first time since 2019 that the ceremony had left the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Lionel Messi, though in the top 10, stayed away. Tuổi Trẻ said he watched an Under-16 match between Boca Juniors and UE Cornella in Miami instead, and Thanh Niên reported that he had opened the Messi Cup, a 16-club Under-16 tournament bearing his name, on 26 October. KBVN+ had covered reports that Barcelona were weighing a boycott and PSG stars might miss the gala; in the end Laporta attended, and while Tuổi Trẻ said PSG could not send a full delegation because of their French league round 8 match, the injured Dembélé walked the red carpet.
What's next
Asked whether PSG could win a third straight Champions League, Dembélé said the season was still long and that Bayern and Arsenal had both played very well, VnExpress reported. Laporta said Barcelona were targeting the Champions League and believed the men's team could compete for the European title this season. De la Fuente described his award as motivation to keep learning and improving rather than a destination.
The Messi Cup runs until 2 November. According to Thanh Niên's 26 October report, Inter Miami have three MLS regular-season rounds left, with Messi leading the scoring race on 25 goals to 22 for FC Dallas's Petar Musa, and the club are aiming for the MLS Cup play-offs.
Pre-gala surveys had already put Kane first, as covered in our piece on the Ballon d'Or 2026 schedule in Vietnam time and the surveys that put Harry Kane on top.