Harry Kane becomes first Englishman in 25 years to win Ballon d'Or

Kane was followed in the voting by Kylian Mbappé. Spain star Alexia Putellas won her third women's Ballon d'Or. Outside, fans packed the streets and climbed light poles near the London Palladium.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8287x5525+0+0/resize/8287x5525!/quality/85/format/webp/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F94%2Fe3%2Fb5a8cc5f42d9b7be982457f52bda%2Fap26299809937762.jpg' alt='England's soccer player Harry Kane wins the trophy for striker of the year during the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026 .'/><p>Kane was followed in the voting by Kylian Mbappé. Spain star Alexia Putellas won her third women's Ballon d'Or. Outside, fans packed the streets and climbed light poles near the London Palladium.</p><p>(Image credit: Kin Cheung)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-6019097' />