Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or, first Englishman to take the award in 25 years

Harry Kane, the Bayern Munich striker and England captain, won the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or at the London Palladium on Oct. 26, becoming the first Englishman to win the award in 25 years, since 2001. He finished ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé. Brazil's Ronaldo presented the trophy, and Kane said he was almost speechless and that it was a tough year against incredible players. Alexia Putellas of London City Lionesses won the women's award, her third. The ceremony left its usual Paris home to honor Sir Stanley Matthews, the first winner. The Guardian reported Kane won the European Golden Boot and the Bundesliga title and captained England to a World Cup semi-final. The Daily Mail said Kane, 33, was supported by his wife Katie Goodland and that Yamal won the World Cup, beating Argentina, while Mbappé became the tournament's top all-time scorer.

Left-leaning outlets keep to the result. The Guardian leads with Kane's win and Putellas's award, calls Kane a deserving, humble winner, lists his Golden Boot, league title and World Cup run, and notes that Yamal and Mbappé fans may object. CNN's short item simply names both winners. The right-leaning Daily Mail covers the same win but leads with Kane's emotional speech, his tears while thanking his parents, and a poignant message. It also reports that the Ballon d'Or website published three articles naming Kane, Mbappé and Yamal as winners, and that fans and security fought outside. It gives different details on England's World Cup finish (third place) and Kane's goal tally. The New York Post had only a pre-ceremony viewing guide, covering DAZN streaming and nominees, with no result. Alternative outlets largely match the others: ESPN reports the result, and Yahoo Sports features Kane's message to his wife.