Harry Kane made history on Monday in his hometown of London, becoming England’s first Ballon d’Or winner in 25 years.
Kane edged out strong contenders Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé to claim football’s most prestigious individual honor.
On the women’s side, Alexia Putellas secured her third Ballon d’Or, further cementing Spain’s recent dominance, after leading Barcelona to a Champions League title before her move to the London City Lionesses.
The first-ever Ballon d’Or ceremony held on English soil faced an inauspicious start, with London traffic causing nearly an hour’s delay and several stars arriving late.
Nevertheless, the evening ended on a triumphant note for local hero Kane, who capped off a remarkable season.
The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker netted an astonishing 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country, helping Bayern to a league and cup double. He also scored six times in England’s run to third place at the World Cup.
“Without my Bayern teammates and the rest of the team, this wouldn’t be possible. The way you push me and compete with me means so much. Thank you,” Kane said after receiving the award.
Since joining Bayern in 2023, Kane’s trophy cabinet includes only domestic German honors. He previously lost the 2019 Champions League final with Tottenham and twice suffered defeat in European Championship finals with England. Still, his consistent goal-scoring has now earned him football’s top individual accolade.
“Moving to Bayern was a big step in my career,” Kane told AFP earlier. “Some saw it as a risk, but for me, it was about improving and challenging myself. Being number nine for Bayern and England comes with high expectations, and to score as often as I did last year is something I’m extremely proud of.”
Putellas, meanwhile, returned to the summit of the women’s game with her third Ballon d’Or, following previous wins in 2021 and 2022. Her comeback from a serious knee injury marks a remarkable resurgence. Putellas succeeds her Spain teammate Aitana Bonmatí, sidelined most of last season by injury. “After my injury, I try to savor every moment, not knowing if it could happen again,” Putellas told AFP. “The Ballon d’Or doesn’t feel like ‘mine,’ but having experienced it before, I can appreciate it even more now.”
Among the other highlights, Yamal stood out with a bold pink flower on his black suit and collected his third consecutive Young Talent of the Year award. However, the 19-year-old Barcelona winger fell short of becoming the youngest-ever Ballon d’Or winner, having missed his top form during Spain’s World Cup triumph.
On Sunday, Mbappé outshone Yamal with two goals as Real Madrid edged Barcelona 2-1 in El Clasico, but his wait for a Ballon d’Or continues, despite a prolific year for club and country.
Spain’s Luis de la Fuente was named Men’s Coach of the Year after guiding his nation to World Cup glory, surpassing PSG’s Luis Enrique and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta. Barcelona’s Pere Romeu took home the Women’s Coach of the Year award. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for his humanitarian work, while Paris Saint-Germain was named Men’s Club of the Year. Spanish goalkeepers Unai Simón and Cata Coll were honored as the best in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively.
— AFP
