This Hasn't Happened in a Quarter Century: Who Won the Ballon d'Or 2026 and Surpassed Mbappé and Yamal

33-year-old forward of Bayern Munich and the England national team Harry Kane has become the holder of the main individual award in world football - the Ballon d'Or 2026. The award for the best football player of the year was presented on the night of Tuesday, October 27, at the France Football ceremony at the Palladium Theatre in London. The award was handed to the winner by Brazilian Ronaldo. Kane was also recognized as the best forward of the year - during the season, he scored a total of 73 goals for club and country. A higher result was previously achieved only by the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Argentine Lionel Messi. As a result of the 2025/26 season, the English forward became the champion with Bayern for the first time in his career. **The Ballon d'Or Was Awarded in London for the First Time** For the first time in the history of the Ballon d'Or trophy, it was awarded in London, rather than in Paris, as is usually the case. The choice of the British capital is linked to the fact that the first holder of this award in 1956 was English footballer Stanley Matthews. Harry Kane became the first Englishman in the last 25 years and the fifth in the history of his country to receive the main individual award. The second place in 2026, according to the voting results, was given to the forward of the French national team and Real Madrid, 27-year-old Kylian Mbappé, while the third went to 19-year-old star of the Spanish national team and Barcelona, Lamine Yamal. At the same time, Yamal was recognized as the best young footballer (under 21) of 2026. The Ballon d'Or is awarded annually to the best football player of the calendar year by the French magazine France Football. Last year, the award went to the forward of the French national team and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Ousmane Dembélé. This time, he took only seventh place. **Other Winners at the France Football Ceremony** The best men's football club in the world in 2026, according to France Football, was PSG, which won the Champions League for the second consecutive time last season. The best women's club was named Barcelona. The best goalkeeper of 2026 was world champion Spaniard Unai Simón, and the best coach was Luis de la Fuente (Spain national team). 32-year-old Spaniard Alexia Putellas became the holder of the women's Ballon d'Or - in the summer, she transferred from Barcelona to London City Lionesses. This is the third major individual award for Putellas in her career, equaling her former teammate Aitana Bonmatí in this regard, reports Deutsche Welle.