Kane beats Mbappé, Yamal to win Ballon d'Or, England's 1st in 25 years — SkimNews
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- Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, beating Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, after a season in which he scored 73 goals for Bayern Munich and led England to the World Cup semifinals.
- France Football organized the 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, where 100 international journalists voted using a points system that ranks 10 players from a 30-person shortlist.
- Kylian Mbappé finished second in the voting after becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, including 10 at this year’s tournament.
- Lamine Yamal placed third and also won Men's Young Player of the Year, following his key role in Spain’s World Cup victory and performances for Barcelona in LaLiga.
- Luis de la Fuente was named Coach of the Year after guiding Spain to the World Cup title, while Unai Simón, Spain’s starting goalkeeper, received the Men's Goalkeeper of the Year award.
- Alexia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time, accepting the award minutes before Kane’s presentation at the London Palladium.
Why it matters: Kane’s win breaks a 25-year drought for English players and shifts the Ballon d’Or spotlight away from long-dominant global stars, underscoring the value of consistent goal output and national team leadership in an era where the award is no longer monopolized by Messi and Ronaldo.
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