Harry Kane has been crowned the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner after an outstanding 2025/26 campaign, becoming the first Englishman to win football's highest individual honour since Michael Owen in 2001.
The Bayern Munich forward secured the award following a remarkable season in which he scored 73 goals in 65 appearances, including 61 goals for Bayern Munich and 12 for England.
The tally represents the second-highest goalscoring season by a player since 2000, surpassed only by Lionel Messi's 82-goal campaign in 2011/12.
Historic achievement
Kane becomes just the fifth English player to win the Ballon d'Or, following:
- Sir Stanley Matthews
- Sir Bobby Charlton
- Kevin Keegan
- Michael Owen
He is also the first Bayern Munich player to claim the award since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981, ending a 45-year wait for the German club.
Dominant season
The England captain finished:
- Bundesliga top scorer
- German Cup top scorer
- Second-highest scorer in the UEFA Champions League
His closest rivals for the award were reported to be Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, with the latter also being recognised as football's top young talent for a third consecutive year.
Double success on the night
At the ceremony, held at the London Palladium, Kane also collected the award for Best Striker of the Season.
Unlike the Ballon d'Or itself, that prize was awarded automatically on the basis of goals scored rather than through voting.
For Kane, the award caps a career-defining year and finally delivers the individual honour that many felt had eluded one of the most prolific goalscorers of his generation.
