Barcelona dominates Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony in London
Spanish players and coaches swept the 2026 Ballon d'Or awards in London, with Alexia Putellas and Harry Kane winning the top honors for women and men respectively.
The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony took place on Monday at the London Palladium, marking the award's 70th anniversary. Spanish football featured prominently, as Barcelona athletes collected multiple trophies, including the Women's Ballon d'Or for Alexia Putellas and the Women's Young Talent award for Vicky Lopez.
Harry Kane, playing for Bayern Munich, received the Men's Ballon d'Or, while PSG was named Men's Club of the Year and Barcelona won the Women's Club of the Year. Other Spanish winners included Luis de la Fuente as Men's Coach of the Year, Pere Romeu as Women's Coach of the Year, Unai Simón and Cata Coll as goalkeepers of the year, and Lamine Yamal as Men's Young Talent of the Year.
"Thank you everyone. This was an incredible year for me. This has been the best season of my career," Kane said on stage.
Bukayo Saka was presented with the Socrates Award for his humanitarian work, which has supported projects in Turkey, Morocco, Nigeria and other regions.
The ceremony, delayed briefly by traffic, featured appearances by former players and pundits, including Thierry Henry and Kate Scott, and highlighted the continued influence of Spanish football on the global stage.