Spain dominate the undercard as PSG take club prize and Kane is named best striker
Spain dominated the supporting awards at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday, winning seven of the 11 prizes before the main trophies. Paris Saint Germain took men’s club of the year and Harry Kane was named best male striker.
The 70th edition of the awards took place at the London Palladium, the first time the ceremony has been held outside France, as a tribute to inaugural winner Stanley Matthews in 1956. Thierry Henry and Kate Scott hosted after a 45 minute delay.
Lamine Yamal opened the night by winning the men’s young talent award for a third straight year, then said his Barcelona and Spain teammate Pau Cubarsi should have collected it instead.
Barcelona’s Vicky Lopez took the women’s equivalent and dedicated it to her late mother.
“Mum, although you can’t be with me physically, I feel your presence every day. Everything I’ve achieved I owe to you, so thank you for teaching me never to give up.”
Pere Romeu was named women’s coach after Barcelona Femeni’s quadruple, then Luis de la Fuente took the men’s award for guiding Spain to the World Cup, though presenter Rafael Benitez looked briefly confused by a card carrying the wrong name.
“This prize is not an individual prize. This is for a whole team, a great team.”
Spain made it six from six when Barcelona’s Cata Coll won the women’s goalkeeper award and Athletic Club’s Unai Simon took the men’s Yashin Trophy, both presented by Peter Schmeichel. Coll faced just 24 shots on target in the league last season.
“Without those people it wouldn’t have been possible to have this amazing summer, the best summer of all our lives.”
Spain’s run of six ended when Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for humanitarian work, presented by singer Burna Boy. Saka funds surgeries for children through the charity BigShoe and read out a letter from a child in Rwanda it helped.
“All of us here are aware how it feels to be a child having the ball at our feet so for everyone we’ve been able to help have that opportunity it’s a real honour for me.”
Barcelona Femeni took women’s club of the year, with president Joan Laporta collecting the trophy alone. Paris Saint Germain then won the men’s award for a second straight year, presented by former Arsenal Invincibles Patrick Vieira, Sol Campbell and Thierry Henry.
PSG had beaten Arsenal on penalties in the Champions League final in June, a result replayed on the big screen, and Ousmane Dembele, last year’s Ballon d’Or winner, collected the trophy despite being injured, with PSG beating Lyon 2-0 that evening.
“We have created an incredible club and we always fight together.”
Charlyn Corral, 35, of CF Pachuca and Mexico won the women’s striker award after scoring 42 goals in 42 games across all competitions last season. Harry Kane followed as men’s striker, rewarded for his form with Bayern Munich and England.
“I’m very happy to be here as the first Mexican to receive this prize.”
Kane scored 73 goals for club and country last season, and was the heart of a Bayern side that won a domestic double. England fell short at the World Cup, which Spain won, but his tally leaves him among the favourites for the Ballon d’Or.
Barcelona supplied five of the winners, counting the women’s club award, while Spain’s World Cup triumph this summer underpinned the prizes for De la Fuente and Simon. Rodri won the tournament’s Golden Ball and is among the nominees for the main award.
The Best Of All Time Ballon d’Or will be decided by a public vote, with the winner revealed on Wednesday, October 28. The crowd booed when the screens moved from Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo. A tribute to double winner Kevin Keegan also featured.