An extremely tight Ballon d'Or race finally has a victor.

Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane won the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or on Monday, taking home the most prestigious individual award in soccer.

Kane edged French star Kylian Mbappe and Spanish forward Lamine Yamal in a race that did not have a consensus favorite until a winner was named.

The 33-year-old Kane also won the Gerd Muller award earlier Monday for being the best men's striker in the past season.

Across 65 games with Bayern Munich last season, Kane scored 73 goals and registered eight assists. He helped his side win the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the DFL-Supercup while claiming the European Golden Boot, Bundesliga Top Scorer and German Footballer of the Year.

With England, Kane helped the Three Lions finish as bronze winners at the World Cup. He's the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001.

Mbappe, 27, will need to wait longer for his first Ballon d'Or after playing well with Real Madrid and France but not accumulating trophies. He officially finished second.

Barcelona star Yamal, 19, finished second in the race last season to Ousmane Dembele, while also winning La Liga and the World Cup this time around. But it was not enough as he finished third.

New Barcelona midfielder Rodri, who also won the Golden Ball at the World Cup as the best player, came in fourth. Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi finished in fifth in a year where World Cup performance played a significant role in determining the winners.

Alexia Putellas won the women's Ballon d'Or, making it her third win after she went back to back in 2021 and 2022. Most known for her time with Barcelona, Putellas recently moved to the Women's Super League in England to play for the London City Lionesses.

Putellas, 32, joined Spain teammate Aitana Bonmati as the only other three-time women's Ballon d'Or winner. Bonmati three-peated the award from 2023 to 2025.

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