Story perspectives

Alexia Putellas Wins 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

Read the story

Story summary

Summary

Alexia Putellas won the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or, becoming the first active WSL player to receive it.
After her Barcelona contract expired, she signed a multiyear deal with London City Lionesses.
She scored three goals and added one assist in her first seven WSL matches.
Lionesses chief executive Martin Semmens said the Nike front-of-shirt deal linked to her brand exceeds $4 million (£3 million) annually.

Summary

Harry Kane became the first Englishman in 25 years to win the Ballon d’Or, joining Stanley Matthews and Michael Owen.
He scored 73 goals for Bayern Munich and England in the 2025-26 season, leading European scoring charts.
Kane’s hat-trick in the German Cup final secured Bayern’s domestic double with the Bundesliga title.
Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for funding 120 medical operations for children in Kano, Nigeria.

History

Ada Hegerberg became the inaugural winner of the Women’s Ballon d’Or in 2018, breaking a century-long gender gap in football awards. Her 2020 long-term Nike partnership signaled growing commercial interest, while the prize expanded, with Alexia Putellas winning twice (2021-2022) and Aitana Bonmatí securing three straight titles 2023-2025. In 2025 the ceremony moved out of the international break, allowing full female attendance.

1 of 3

Ada Hegerberg became the inaugural winner of the Women’s Ballon d’Or in 2018, breaking a century-long gender gap in football awards. Her 2020 long-term Nike partnership signaled growing commercial interest, while the prize expanded, with Alexia Putellas winning twice (2021-2022) and Aitana Bonmatí securing three straight titles 2023-2025. In 2025 the ceremony moved out of the international break, allowing full female attendance.

1 / 3