Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or as first Englishman in 25 years

Harry Kane has won the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or, becoming the first English player to take the award in 25 years. The Bayern Munich striker, 33, was announced as the winner at a ceremony in London. He finished ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe. The award is voted on by one journalist from each of the top-ranked FIFA nations and honours the best male player of the season.

Kane scored 73 goals for club and country in the 2025-26 season. That included 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern, a club record, as they won the German domestic double. He also reached the Champions League semi-finals and scored 12 goals in 14 England matches, six of them at the World Cup, where England finished third. His total of 73 was the second highest by a player in Europe's top five leagues, behind Lionel Messi's record.

At the ceremony, Kane also received the Best Striker award. In his acceptance speech he said he was almost speechless and that being in London made the win extra special. He thanked teammates, coaches, family, his wife Katie and their four children, and former club Tottenham. He said: 'For any young boy or girl wanting to achieve their dreams, anything is possible with hard work, when no-one else is watching.'

Kane's career began at Tottenham's academy. He had loan spells at Leyton Orient, Leicester and Millwall before breaking into the Spurs team under Tim Sherwood. He scored 280 goals for Tottenham before joining Bayern Munich in 2023. Prince William called him a remarkable player, and England manager Thomas Tuchel said the team were lucky to have him as captain. Wembley's arch was lit gold and Bayern Munich's stadium displayed his name.

Other winners included Spain's Alexia Putellas, who won the women's Ballon d'Or for a record-equalling third time. Barcelona's Lamine Yamal won the Men's Young Talent award for the third time, and England's Bukayo Saka won the Socrates Award for humanitarian work.

The ceremony was not without problems. The official Ballon d'Or website published an article prematurely announcing Kane as the winner before the event began. The ceremony started 45 minutes late, and there were reports of fans breaking security fences outside the London Palladium and clashing with security and police. Traffic delays were caused by the pedestrianisation of nearby Oxford Street. Kane later travelled to Munich and returned to training with Bayern.

Only five Englishmen have won the Ballon d'Or. Michael Owen was the last in 2001, and Stanley Matthews was the first 70 years ago. Kane's win has prompted calls for him to receive a knighthood, while his boyhood club Ridgeway Rovers is planning a tribute.