Harry Kane
became England's first Ballon d'Or winner in 25 years, collecting the award in
his native London on Monday and beating stiff competition from Lamine Yamal and
Kylian Mbappe.
Alexia
Putellas won the women's prize for a third time, extending Spain's dominance of
the award, after leading Barcelona to last season's Champions League title
before moving to London City Lionesses.
The first
Ballon d'Or ceremony on English soil got off to an inauspicious start, as
London traffic delayed it by nearly an hour and many star names arrived late.
But there was a happy ending for the hometown hero.
The
33-year-old Bayern Munich forward scored 73 goals in 65 games for club and
country last season, helping the German giants to a league and cup double. He
also scored six times as England finished third at the World Cup. "Without
you guys (his Bayern Munich teammates) and the rest of the team it wouldn't be
possible; the way you guys push me, the way we compete. So thank you very
much," he said after collecting the award.
Kane's
medal collection is limited to German domestic honours since he joined Bayern
in 2023. He lost the 2019 Champions League final with Tottenham against
Liverpool and suffered defeat in two European Championship finals with England.
Even so, his remarkable goalscoring consistency has earned him football's
highest individual prize. "Making the move to Bayern Munich was a big step
in my career," he told AFP earlier. "Some people saw it as a risk,
but for me it was always about improving." He added that, as a number nine
for Bayern and England, he is expected to score goals and is proud of how many
he managed last year.
Putellas,
who also won in 2021 and 2022, completed her return to the top of the women's
game after an anterior cruciate ligament injury derailed her rise four years
ago. She succeeds Spain teammate Aitana Bonmatí, the winner for the past three
years, who missed most of last season with a broken leg. Putellas told AFP last
month that since her injury she has tried to enjoy every moment as if it were
her last. She added that having won it before, she can enjoy it even more now.
Yamal made
the boldest fashion statement, wearing a pink flower on his black suit. The
Barcelona winger won the first award of the night, young talent of the year,
for the third consecutive time. But the 19-year-old fell short of becoming the
youngest Ballon d'Or winner after failing to produce his best form during
Spain's World Cup triumph. Mbappe got the better of Yamal on Sunday, scoring
twice as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 in El Clasico, but his wait for the
Ballon d'Or goes on despite a prolific year for France and Real Madrid.
Other
winners:
De la
Fuente said he is privileged to work with a team of such high quality on a
professional and human level.
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