Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d'Or, becoming fifth Englishman to claim football's top individual prize
Kane crowned world's best player at London Palladium
Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, claiming football's most prestigious individual prize at a ceremony held at the London Palladium. The Bayern Munich and England striker finally walked on stage at 10.51pm after a night of delays and confusion, and turned the golden trophy in his hands to the sound of an emotional applause.
Kane becomes the fifth Englishman to win the award, joining Sir Stanley Matthews (1956), Sir Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979) and Michael Owen (2001). He is the first English winner since Owen, 25 years after the former Liverpool striker's triumph. The ceremony's London location was chosen to mark 70 years since Matthews won the inaugural award.
A record-breaking season
Kane scored 61 goals in 51 club matches for Bayern Munich last season, the most any Bayern player has ever scored in a single campaign. Including England matches, his total was 73 goals plus eight assists in 65 games. Only Lionel Messi, with 82 goals for Barcelona and Argentina in 2011-12, has scored more in a season among players at clubs in Europe's top five leagues.
In the Bundesliga he was top scorer with 36 goals, 17 clear of anyone else. In the Champions League he scored 14 for Bayern, who were beaten in the semi-finals. He also scored 10 goals in the German Cup, including a hat-trick in the 3-0 win over Stuttgart in the final, and netted once in the German Super Cup. For England he scored six goals at the World Cup, including strikes against Panama, DR Congo and Mexico.
Kane did not win a major trophy with either club or country last season, having lost in both the World Cup and Champions League semi-finals, which makes his win notable. He had won the Bundesliga the season before and, with the German double, more than doubled his career trophy total.
Yamal and Mbappe left behind
The vote was a tense affair, with 100 journalists deciding the award. Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal ran public campaigns in the lead-up to the ceremony. Yamal was named the world's best young player but finished behind Kane in the main men's prize.
Kane said on stage: "We're in this together. I know this wouldn't be possible without you," paying tribute to his wife Kate. Mbappe applauded with a polite smile as Kane was announced.
A career built on persistence
Kane's route to the top was far from straightforward. He was rejected by Arsenal coaches as an eight-year-old and spent his early career on loan at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester. Spurs academy graduate Adam Smith said last month: "I didn't think he would go to this level, I don't think anyone thought he would." Smith also described Kane as having "the mental edge on a lot of players" even as a 14-year-old.
Now 33, Kane's finishing and movement have made him one of the most complete strikers of his generation, and this award is a reward for a career defined by proving doubters wrong.