Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas Claim Ballon d'Or Honors in London
Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane became the first English winner in 25 years, while Alexia Putellas secured the women's prize for a third time.
Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas were crowned the world's best soccer players at the Ballon d'Or ceremony held in London on Monday. The event, hosted on English soil for the first time, experienced nearly an hour of delays due to heavy traffic and rainy weather that slowed the arrival of international soccer stars at the historic Palladium Theatre.
Kane edged out Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to claim the men's Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Englishman to receive the honor since Michael Owen in 2001. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker expressed deep emotion upon accepting the trophy in his native city, greeted by enthusiastic cheers from the home crowd.
Last season, Kane netted an impressive 73 goals in 65 competitive matches for both club and country, helping Bayern Munich secure a domestic league and cup double. He also contributed six goals to England's third-place finish at the World Cup, cementing a historic campaign that culminated in the highest individual accolade in professional football.
Reflecting on his career milestone, Kane noted that his transfer to Bayern Munich in 2023 was a pivotal turning point. "Some people saw it as a risk but for me it was always about improving and seeing if I could get better around the team-mates, the team, the club and it has pushed me onto another level," Kane said, adding that bringing the trophy back to represent his country in London felt exceptionally special.
In the women's category, Alexia Putellas earned the Ballon d'Or Feminin for the third time, further extending Spain's prominence in the sport. Putellas captained Barcelona to a remarkable quadruple of trophies last season before transferring to the London City Lionesses in England during the summer.
Putellas's victory follows a resilient comeback from a severe anterior cruciate ligament injury that previously interrupted her career trajectory four years ago. Expressing gratitude for her 14 seasons with Barcelona, she described the achievement as the culmination of an incredible team effort.
Several other prominent figures were recognized throughout the evening. Barcelona's 19-year-old winger Lamine Yamal received the Men's Young Talent of the Year award for the third consecutive time, while Spain manager Luis de la Fuente was named Men's Coach of the Year after leading the national team to World Cup victory.
Paris Saint-Germain was named Men's Club of the Year following their consecutive Champions League titles, and Barcelona Femení claimed Women's Club of the Year. Additional awards included Unai Simon and Cata Coll taking home the men's and women's goalkeeper honors, respectively, alongside a humanitarian Sócrates Award presented to England and Arsenal player Bukayo Saka.