Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or; Mbappé second, Putellas takes women's award

Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, becoming the first Englishman to take the award in 25 years. Kane, 33, was followed in the voting by Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid. Spain's Alexia Putellas won the women's Ballon d'Or for the third time. The prize capped what was described as a record-breaking season for Kane, who had long pursued football's top individual honour. Fans packed the streets outside the venue, with some climbing light poles. The director of the Ballon d'Or organisation said Kane beat Mbappé by fewer than 41 points, a tighter margin than the 2024 race between Rodri and Vinicius Jnr. Last year's gap between first and second, when Ousmane Dembélé won, was 321 points. Full voting breakdowns are due on Saturday, October 31. Many observers had given Spain's Lamine Yamal a serious chance of winning.

The Daily Mail, the right-leaning outlet here, leads with a row over alleged disrespect, saying Mbappé and Dembélé, of Paris Saint-Germain, stayed seated as Kane crouched to shake their hands and Mbappé did not stand when Kane was announced. It quotes Mbappé saying before the ceremony that he always thinks he is the best, and Kane's post urging people to work hard in silence, and it casts Kane as a humble winner. It also stresses the close vote. NPR, on the left, reports the result without that dispute: Kane's first-in-25-years milestone, Mbappé as runner-up, Putellas's third award and the crowds outside the Palladium. Both sides agree on Kane, Mbappé and the venue. They differ in that the Mail centres on conduct and the margin, while NPR centres on the history and the celebration. Independent outlets partly echo the result, as France 24 reports Kane's win and Putellas's award, while Yahoo Sports looks at Yamal's reaction to losing.