Lead:
Harry Kane, Bayern Munich forward, won the 2026 Ballon d'Or on Monday in London, finishing ahead of Lamin Yamal and Kylian Mbappe. Alexia Putellas claimed the women's award for a third time, while Luis de la Fuente took the coach prize following Spain's World Cup triumph.
Top Stories:
Ballon d'Or ceremony delayed 30 minutes — Traffic congestion in central London prevented guests from reaching the red carpet at the London Palladium venue. The 70th edition marked the first time the ceremony took place in England rather than France.Ballon d'Or winners leaked before announcement — Multiple articles naming Kane, Yamal and Mbappe as winners appeared on the organizer's website hours before the official ceremony began, forcing editorial staff to delete the posts.Barcelona defender Chavi Esparsa out seven weeks — The 23-year-old suffered injury during Real Madrid's 2-1 Clasico victory and will miss approximately seven weeks, deepening Barcelona's injury crisis.Gavi marginalised at Barcelona under Flick — The Spanish midfielder was left out of the squad entirely for the Clasico for the first time since promotion to the first team, signalling reduced status in midfield competition.Naomi Osaka reconsidering tennis future over motherhood — The former world number one ranked 18th globally stated she may retire early if her three-year-old daughter Shai requests reduced travel and home presence.Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia negotiating with Glegle Tare — The club is pursuing the Albanian former Milan sporting director to strengthen recruitment, drawing on his experience at Lazio from 2008 to 2023.What to Watch:
Trabzon Spor travels to Rize Spor on Tuesday in Turkish Super Lig matchday nine; Trabzon enters ranked fourth after defeating Besiktas 2-0.Liverpool hosts Brighton on Sunday in Premier League matchday eight following the Reds' 2-0 home victory last week that extended their winning run.