The 2026 Ballon d’Or winners were announced at the London Palladium on Monday, 26 October 2026. Harry Kane took the men's top prize, Alexia Putellas won the women's Ballon d’Or, and Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka received the Sócrates Award. For Fantasy Premier League managers, this is both an awards recap and a chance to distinguish football honours from the points available in FPL 2026/27.
OneFPL quick answer: Kane won the men's Ballon d’Or but is not in FPL because he plays for Bayern Munich. Haaland, Saka, Rice, Gabriel, Saliba and Bruno Fernandes provide the stronger connection to the current Premier League game.
Ballon d’Or 2026 winners: the main awards
| Award | Winner | Premier League / FPL connection |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Ballon d’Or | Harry Kane | Former Spurs FPL great; now at Bayern and unavailable to select |
| Women's Ballon d’Or | Alexia Putellas | Women's football honour; not an FPL 2026/27 player |
| Men's Kopa / young talent | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona player; not in Premier League FPL |
| Women's Kopa / young talent | Vicky López | Women's football honour, separate from men's FPL |
| Men's Yashin / goalkeeper | Unai Simón | Athletic Club goalkeeper; not an FPL option |
| Women's Yashin / goalkeeper | Cata Coll | Women's football honour, separate from men's FPL |
| Men's Gerd Müller / striker | Harry Kane | A second individual honour for the former Tottenham forward |
| Women's Gerd Müller / striker | Charlyn Corral | Women's football honour, separate from men's FPL |
| Men's coach | Luis de la Fuente | Spain national-team manager; no fantasy scoring impact |
| Women's coach | Pere Romeu | Barcelona women's coach; no fantasy scoring impact |
| Men's club | Paris Saint-Germain | European success, not a Premier League FPL club |
| Women's club | Barcelona | Women's club award, not FPL eligibility |
| Sócrates Award | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal winger honoured for humanitarian work; his injury status is a separate issue |
Results are supported by the Reuters ceremony report, the ceremony coverage and Ballon d’Or's official Saka announcement.
Men's Ballon d’Or: top five and notable Premier League places
Reuters confirms the leading five finishers: Kane first, Kylian Mbappé second, Lamine Yamal third, Rodri fourth and Lionel Messi fifth. The organisers have published the 11th–30th rankings, including Arsenal's Declan Rice in 15th, Gabriel in 21st, Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes in 27th and Arsenal's William Saliba joint 29th. Erling Haaland is a confirmed top-10 finisher, but we are not assigning a numbered position here without a verified full final ranking.
| Player | Ballon d’Or 2026 finish | FPL 2026/27 perspective |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Kane | 1st | Not eligible; Bayern Munich |
| Rodri | 4th | Not eligible; moved to Barcelona |
| Erling Haaland | Top 10 | Man City forward; actual goals and fixtures drive captaincy |
| Declan Rice | 15th | Arsenal midfielder; assess creativity and defensive contributions |
| Gabriel | 21st | Arsenal defender; clean sheets, set pieces and DefCon |
| Bruno Fernandes | 27th | Man Utd midfielder; check his uncertain minutes |
| William Saliba | Joint 29th | Arsenal defender; minutes, clean sheets and DefCon potential |
Official ranking source: Ballon d’Or, positions 11–30. Awards reflect 2025/26 and international performances, whereas FPL 2026/27 rewards events in the current Premier League season.
Latest FPL news
Which Ballon d’Or stories actually matter to your FPL team?
Haaland: performance matters more than votes
Haaland scored nine Premier League goals in his first eight 2026/27 matches, including City's goal against Aston Villa on 24 October. City host Brighton on Saturday 31 October in GW9. This is a legitimate reason to assess him for captaincy, but the evidence is his form, expected goals, minutes and fixture—not that he received Ballon d’Or votes. Compare your alternatives with OneFPL's Captain Picks and GW9 Scout Picks. Performance record; league fixture list.
Saka: good news off the pitch is not a medical update
Saka's Sócrates Award honours humanitarian work. It does not mean that his thigh injury has cleared. He missed Arsenal's GW8 meeting with Everton, and the exact date of a return was not confirmed in OneFPL's existing Saka GW9 injury tracker. Arsenal visit Liverpool in GW9, then host Hull in GW10. Read the award story for the achievement and the injury tracker for current selection advice.
Arsenal defenders and Rice: prestigious shortlist, different scoring routes
Three Arsenal players placed in the men's top 30. Gabriel scored 209 FPL points in 2025/26, with 18 clean sheets and 22 defensive-contribution points. Rice receives points through a different midfield scoring profile, while Saliba offers a traditional centre-back route. A Ballon d’Or placing is not an FPL expected-points ranking. As checked on 27 October, Saliba was flagged injured (back) with an unknown return date in OneFPL Team News. Check availability, prices, fixtures and your budget before an Arsenal double-up decision. Premier League analysis of Gabriel.
Bruno: selection risk can overpower an award-season achievement
Bruno placed 27th but was an unused substitute against Bournemouth in GW8. Chelsea away in GW9 is the next test. Managers should confirm his role rather than interpret the award as a promise of starts. See OneFPL's Bruno GW9 article.
More from this coverage cluster: Saka’s Sócrates Award and FPL context, Arsenal’s Rice–Gabriel–Saliba FPL comparison and Haaland’s GW9 captaincy case.
What should you do before the GW9 deadline?
| Your situation | Practical next action |
|---|---|
| Own Haaland | Assess whether a Brighton home fixture makes him your best captain versus your other attackers |
| Own Saka | Check official team news; do not make an injury assumption based on his award |
| Own Gabriel or Saliba | Factor Liverpool away into clean-sheet probability; evaluate several Gameweeks, not one |
| Own Rice | Compare set-piece involvement and defensive contributions with midfield alternatives |
| Own Bruno | Watch team selection and manager comments after his GW8 benching |
Use OneFPL's Player Lab for comparisons and the Transfer Planner for a squad-level view.
FAQ
Who won the men's Ballon d’Or in 2026? Harry Kane won on 26 October 2026 while representing Bayern Munich.
Which Arsenal players appeared in the 2026 Ballon d’Or ranking? Declan Rice finished 15th, Gabriel 21st and William Saliba joint 29th in the men's voting.
Does winning a Ballon d’Or award give FPL points? No. Awards are separate from the official Fantasy Premier League scoring system.
OneFPL verdict
The 2026 Ballon d’Or gives football fans a compelling story and gives FPL managers a reminder to separate reputation from selection value. Celebrate Kane and Saka; make GW9 moves using verified availability, form and fixtures. For the winner's Tottenham-era fantasy statistics, read Kane's 1,891-point FPL retrospective.