Another name has been written into football’s history books.
Harry Kane has been named the winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or after a year to remember for both club and country.
Last season, the 33-year-old English international found the back of the net on 61 occasions for Bayern Munich, while netting 12 times for England, for a total 73 goals across all competitions.
“My journey, it wasn't straightforward. I wasn't the kid who went straight to the top. I had to experience the downs. I experienced a lot of long moves. I had to fight my way to be the very best right now, and hope that can give you inspiration as well”, Kane said in his acceptance speech.
The Englishman’s career began with a series of loan moves at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City before establishing himself in Tottenham Hotspur’s first team, where he scored 280 goals in 435 appearances. Since leaving London for the Bavarian giants, he has netted an impressive 102 goals in 101 games.
While accepting the award, Kane made sure to acknowledge his boyhood club, and the role it played in his journey to the top.
“I want to say thank you to Tottenham Hotspur as well. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Tottenham, for sure. I was there from eleven years old. All the guidance, all the coaches, you allowed me to live my dream. So for sure, without all those moments together, all the ups and downs along the way of that journey, has led me to this moment here today, so just want to say thank you to Tottenham Hotspur,” Kane said.
With the victory, Kane became the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, and the first Bayern Munich player to claim the award since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
He joins Sir Stanley Matthews (1956), Sir Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979) and Michael Owen (2001) as the only English internationals to have won the prestigious honour.
Following his remarkable campaign, Kane entered the ceremony as the bookmakers’ favourite, with Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal following closely behind.
“I’m delighted to be recognised alongside so many excellent players, including some of my teammates and some truly world-class players who are here in the room tonight. So, thank you to everyone who voted for me," Kane added.
Kane capped off his club season by winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal with Bayern Munich before captaining England to a third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup, where the Three Lions fell to Argentina in the semi-final. His six goals throughout the tournament saw him become the country’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer.
Although he fell short of claiming the World Cup Golden Boot, Kane did secure the European Golden Shoe for the second time in three years, scoring 19 more goals than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.
Kylian Mbappe finished second in the official Ballon d’Or rankings after leading the scoring charts at the World Cup, Champions League, and La Liga, while Lamine Yamal came in at third following his World Cup and La Liga triumphs.
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