TUE OCT 27 2026-theGBJournal| Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first English man to win the prestigious award since Michael Owen in 2001 after a record-breaking season of league and cup goals in 2025/26.
His 36 goals for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga in 2025/26 earned the striker a second European Golden Shoe while his 61 goals across all competitions for the German giant made headlines around the globe.
Along the way records were broken, while significantly his haul at club level ensured Bayern won a domestic treble.
The substantial tally in itself was seriously impressive but included in that number were stand-out moments that warrant recognition in isolation, goals that were special for very different reasons.
Similarly, Alexia Putellas, the Spanish forward from Catalonia who plays for the Women’s Super League won a historic third Women’s Ballon d’Or.
From August to May, her goals, creativity and competitive spirit propelled the Blaugranas to a sweeping quadruple, dominating all domestic competitions across three tournaments and securing the club’s fourth UEFA Champions League title.
In La Liga F, the magnificent playmaker scored nine goals in 16 starts, whilst Barça dominated from start to finish, losing just one match all season.
In the Copa de la Reina, she scored three goals in four matches.
However, she saved her most special performances for Europe, where her team swept aside all opposition in the group stage and every subsequent round.
Even by the high standards expected of a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, Putellas’s performance throughout the 2025/26 season was exceptional, and every pass, dribble and shot was another parting gift to a city that adores her.
she captained her team to their fourth continental title in six years, and was involved in 14 goals and, quite frankly, was at times unstoppable, even when facing Europe’s elite.
Lamine Yamal won Men’s Young Talent of the Year award. At just 19 years of age, the Barcelona star shattered all records by becoming the first footballer in history to win the award three times in a row.
To claim the throne once again, the Spanish talent beat off stiff competition from promising young players such as his team-mate Pau Cubarsí, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Yan Diomandé, amongst others.
The impact of the child prodigy was absolute and unquestionable for the majority of the jury members, who once again recognised his talent and his attacking influence throughout a season to remember.
Unai Simón won the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award, beating Thibaut Courtois to lift the prestigious prize.
Simón has established himself amongst the very best in world football. His brilliant performance for the Spanish national team during the 2026 World Cup is the decisive factor in his win.
During the FIFA World Cup in North America, the Athletic Club goalkeeper smashed a record that had seemed unbeatable.
Unai Simón went a total of 560 consecutive minutes without conceding a single goal at the World Cup, surpassing the record of 517 minutes held by Italy’s Walter Zenga since the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
It took 36 years for a goalkeeper to break such a statistical barrier. A true milestone.
Following this 2026 tournament, Unai Simón is now officially the goalkeeper with the longest unbeaten run in World Cup history.
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