Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas have emerged as the leading players in the men’s and women’s categories of the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards following the ceremony held in London, England, on Monday, October 26.
The 70th edition of the prestigious football awards took place at the London Palladium, bringing together football stars, journalists and other guests to celebrate outstanding performances in the sport.
The ceremony marked the first time the Ballon d’Or awards had been held outside Paris since the introduction of the honour. Sports broadcaster Kate Scott and former France international Thierry Henry hosted the event.
Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich and represents England internationally, claimed the men’s award after an impressive 2025/2026 season. Barcelona and Spain midfielder Putellas topped the women’s rankings.
Men’s Ballon d’Or: Top 10 Players
1. Harry Kane – Bayern Munich and England
Kane secured the top position after scoring 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich across all competitions during the 2025/2026 season. He scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga and added 12 goals for England, taking his reported combined club and international tally to 73 goals in 65 appearances.
2. Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid and France
Mbappé finished second following a productive campaign for Real Madrid. The French forward scored 42 goals in 44 club appearances, including 25 in La Liga and 15 in the UEFA Champions League. He also scored 10 goals for France at the 2026 World Cup.
3. Lamine Yamal – Barcelona and Spain
The Barcelona youngster finished third after recording 24 goals and 17 assists across all competitions. His performances contributed directly to 41 goals, while statistics from Opta showed that he created 118 chances, including 107 from open play.
4. Rodri Hernández – Manchester City and Spain
Rodri claimed fourth place after delivering impressive performances, particularly at the World Cup. He completed 756 passes during the tournament, reportedly the highest tally recorded by a player at a men’s World Cup in the previous 60 years. He also registered 122 line-breaking passes and won the tournament’s Golden Ball.
5. Lionel Messi – Inter Miami and Argentina
Messi finished fifth after recording 29 goals and 23 assists in 30 Major League Soccer appearances during the qualifying period. He also scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 14 appearances for Argentina.
6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Paris Saint-Germain and Georgia
The Paris Saint-Germain forward secured sixth position after scoring 19 goals and providing 10 assists across all competitions. He recorded 29 goal contributions and averaged 2.7 successful take-ons per 90 minutes in Ligue 1.
7. Ousmane Dembélé – Paris Saint-Germain and France
Dembélé finished seventh after contributing 20 goals and 11 assists in 40 appearances for PSG. His 31 goal contributions made him one of the French club’s most productive players during the campaign.
8. Erling Haaland – Manchester City and Norway
Haaland took eighth place after scoring 27 goals in the Premier League to claim the Golden Boot for the third time in four seasons. He also recorded 20 goals in 12 international appearances for Norway during the 2025/2026 season.
9. Michael Olise – Bayern Munich and France
Olise finished ninth after registering 22 goals and 26 assists in 52 appearances for Bayern Munich. His 48 goal contributions included six assists in the Champions League. He also provided seven assists for France at the World Cup.
10. Fabián Ruiz – Paris Saint-Germain and Spain
Ruiz completed the men’s top 10 after scoring two goals and providing five assists in 34 appearances for PSG. He featured in all eight of Spain’s World Cup matches, started four of them and scored in the quarter-final against Belgium.
Women’s Ballon d’Or: Top 10 Players
1. Alexia Putellas – Barcelona and Spain
Putellas claimed the top position in the women’s rankings after an impressive season for Barcelona and Spain. She scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists in 53 appearances across the listed club and international competitions.
She also recorded seven goals and seven assists in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
2. Ewa Pajor – Barcelona and Poland
Pajor finished second after scoring 33 goals and providing seven assists during the 2025/2026 campaign. She also scored 11 goals in the Women’s Champions League, including two in the final.
3. Khadija Shaw – Manchester City and Jamaica
Shaw secured third place after recording 39 goals and nine assists during the season. She scored 21 goals in 22 Women’s Super League appearances and provided four assists in the competition.
4. Melchie Dumornay – OL Lyonnes and Haiti
Dumornay finished fourth after recording 21 goals and 12 assists in 36 appearances. Her performances established her among the leading players in women’s football during the campaign.
5. Patri Guijarro – Barcelona and Spain
Guijarro took fifth place after helping Barcelona win four trophies during the 2025/2026 season, including the Women’s Champions League and Liga F.
6. Caroline Graham Hansen – Barcelona and Norway
Graham Hansen finished sixth after recording 18 goals and 16 assists. She also led Liga F in assists and played an important role in Barcelona’s trophy-winning campaign.
7. Pernille Harder – Bayern Munich and Denmark
Harder secured seventh position after scoring 34 goals and providing 14 assists during the season. She also helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup.
8. Clàudia Pina – Barcelona and Spain
Pina finished eighth after registering 32 goals and nine assists. Her contributions helped Barcelona win the Champions League, Liga F, Copa de la Reina and Spanish Super Cup.
9. Alessia Russo – Arsenal and England
Russo claimed ninth place after scoring 29 goals and providing nine assists in 50 appearances. She also recorded 13 goals and six assists in 22 Women’s Super League appearances.
10. Temwa Chawinga – Kansas City Current and Malawi
Chawinga completed the women’s top 10 following her performances for Kansas City Current and the Malawi national team.
Other Players in the Ballon d’Or Rankings
Several other prominent footballers featured in the rankings from 11th to 30th in both categories.
Men’s rankings: 11th to 30th
- Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid and England
- Pau Cubarsí – Barcelona and Spain
- Achraf Hakimi – Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco
- Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal
- Declan Rice – Arsenal and England
- Ferran Torres – Barcelona and Spain
- Vinícius Júnior – Real Madrid and Brazil
- Marc Cucurella – Chelsea/Real Madrid and Spain
- João Neves – Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal
- Willian Pacho – Paris Saint-Germain and Ecuador
- Gabriel Magalhães – Arsenal and Brazil
- Lautaro Martínez – Inter Milan and Argentina
- Nuno Mendes – Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal
- Luis Díaz – Bayern Munich and Colombia
- Marquinhos – Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil
- Dayot Upamecano – Bayern Munich and France
- Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United and Portugal
- Julián Quiñones – Al-Qadsiah and Mexico
- William Saliba – Arsenal and France
- Sadio Mané – Al-Nassr and Senegal
Women’s rankings: 11th to 30th
- Yui Hasegawa – Manchester City and Japan
- Klara Bühl – Bayern Munich and Germany
- Mariona Caldentey – Arsenal and Spain
- Wendie Renard – OL Lyonnes and France
- Cata Coll – Barcelona and Spain
- Mapi León – Barcelona/London City Lionesses and Spain
- Esmee Brugts – Barcelona and the Netherlands
- Barbra Banda – Orlando Pride and Zambia
- Tessa Wullaert – Inter/Como and Belgium
- Selma Bacha – OL Lyonnes and France
- Scarlett Camberos – Club América and Mexico
- Manaka Matsukubo – North Carolina Courage/Chelsea and Japan
- Momoko Tanikawa – Bayern Munich and Japan
- Kerstin Casparij – Manchester City and the Netherlands
- Caroline Weir – Real Madrid/OL Lyonnes and Scotland
- Alex Greenwood – Manchester City and England
- Rose Lavelle – Gotham FC and the United States
- Lorena – Kansas City Current and Brazil
- Melvine Malard – Manchester United/Chelsea and France
- Vivianne Miedema – Manchester City and the Netherlands
The 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings recognise players whose performances for their clubs and national teams stood out during the qualifying period. Goals, assists, creativity, consistency and contributions to major competitions featured prominently in the assessments of the leading players.
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