England captain Harry Kane won the men’s Ballon d’Or for the first time on Monday, becoming the first English player to receive the prestigious football award since 2001.
The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker was honored at a ceremony at the London Palladium after scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country last season.
The Ballon d’Or, awarded by the French magazine France Football, is one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, rewarding the best players in the world.
The last English player to win the award was former Liverpool striker Michael Owen, who won the award 25 years ago.
Why did Harry Kane win the 2026 Ballon d’Or?
Kane’s remarkable goalscoring record helped Bayern Munich secure a league and German Cup double last season.
The former Tottenham Hotspur striker also led England to the World Cup semi-finals, the country’s best result since winning the tournament in 1966.
Kane finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer for three consecutive seasons. He was also Europe’s top club scorer in the 2025-26 campaign.
During Monday’s ceremony, Kane thanked his Bayern Munich teammates for their support.
“Without you (his Bayern Munich teammates) and the rest of the team, this wouldn’t be possible, the way you push me, the way we compete. So thank you very much,” he said.
Kane also paid tribute to his former club Tottenham Hotspur, who he joined aged 11, as well as his England team-mates and family.
“To my wife Kate, my best friend. We’ve been through ups and downs. You are my biggest support and I felt like you wanted it more than me,” he said.
Reflecting on his career, Kane encouraged young footballers to pursue their ambitions despite setbacks.
“I hope my journey wasn’t easy, I didn’t go straight to the top, I had to experience many loans and struggle to get to where I am now. I hope this can inspire you.”
Kane faced stiff competition from Barcelona’s Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s French striker Kylian Mbappe.
He joins Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen among England players to have won the award.
Who else won the 2026 Ballon d’Or?
Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas won the Women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time in her career, having previously won the award in 2021 and 2022.
The 32-year-old was recognized after a successful season with Barcelona, winning the treble and scoring 21 goals in all competitions.
Putellas also played a key role in Barcelona’s Champions League triumph, contributing seven goals and seven assists during the campaign.
She joined English club London City Lionesses in July after spending 14 years at Barcelona.
Her victory ended a run of three consecutive Ballon d’Or wins by fellow Spaniard Aitana Bonmatí.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for best young men’s player for the third year in a row, while teammate Vicky Lopez won the women’s award for the second year in a row.
Barcelona coach Pere Romeu was named women’s coach of the year, while Spain coach Luis de la Fuente won the men’s coach award.
Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon was awarded the men’s Yashin Trophy, while Cata Coll won the women’s equivalent.
Barcelona was named women’s club of the year, while Paris Saint-Germain won the men’s award.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
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