London: England captain and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane claimed the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or on Monday (Tuesday IST) following a prolific campaign with his club, while Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas secured the Women's Ballon d'Or for the third time in her career.

Kane became the first English footballer to lift the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, outpointing contenders Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to capture the sport's premier individual accolade.

Kane registered a standout campaign, scoring 73 goals and providing eight assists to record 81 total goal contributions across all competitions. His performances helped propel Bayern Munich to a domestic treble, securing the Bundesliga, German Cup, and German Super Cup. The honour marks the inaugural Ballon d'Or triumph for the striker, who has consistently ranked among world football's top performers across recent seasons.

The award represents another career benchmark for the England skipper, who solidified his status among Europe's leading goalscorers prior to his transfer to Bayern Munich, where he has since claimed major silverware.

The recognition follows Kane's dominant domestic run in the Bundesliga, where he netted 36 goals in 31 league appearances to guide Bayern Munich to the 2025-26 German title. Although Bayern were eliminated in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain, Kane registered 14 goals in 13 continental outings, scoring in both legs of the quarter-final against Real Madrid and the semi-final tie against PSG.

His offensive output proved vital to Bayern's campaign, earning him the award during the ceremony hosted in London.

On the international stage, the England captain scored six goals and provided one assist for his national side as the Three Lions secured a third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup.

In the women's category, Putellas won the Women's Ballon d'Or for the third time, adding to her previous triumphs in 2021 and 2022. The Barcelona midfielder's victory reinforces her standing in the women's game, drawing her level with former Barcelona teammate and compatriot Aitana Bonmatí, who has also captured the award on three occasions. Putellas enjoyed another dominant campaign with Barcelona, helping the Spanish club maintain its position at the pinnacle of women's football.

The dual awards highlighted the achievements of Kane and Putellas, with both players securing major individual honours for their respective careers.

The 2026 presentation took place at London's Palladium, marking the 70th anniversary of Sir Stanley Matthews being named the inaugural recipient of the award in 1956.

ANI