Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, ending England’s 25-year wait for football’s most prestigious individual prize after a record-breaking season with Bayern Munich and England.
Kane was crowned at the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony at the London Palladium on Monday 26 October, according to UEFA and ESPN, finishing ahead of France captain Kylian Mbappé in second and Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal in third. It is the first time the ceremony has been held outside France since the award began in 1956.
The England captain is the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001, joining Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan on an exclusive list. For Kane, who left Tottenham without a major team trophy for so long, it is the individual crowning of a remarkable career.
A season of staggering numbers
Kane scored 73 goals for Bayern Munich and England in the 2025-26 season, according to reports of the ceremony, including 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern alone. He finished as Bundesliga top scorer with 36 goals, second-highest scorer in the Champions League with 14, and winner of the European Golden Shoe.
His consistency was the story of the season. Week after week, Kane delivered goals in big games, led Bayern’s attack, and carried England’s hopes into a World Cup year. Voters rewarded not just the volume of goals but the importance of them.
What the win means for England
Kane’s triumph also matters beyond Bayern. As England captain, he now heads into the next cycle as the world’s officially recognised best player, a status no Englishman has held this century. For young English strikers, his path — patience, professionalism and relentless scoring — is now the benchmark.
Mbappé and Yamal will surely challenge again, but on this night in London, the prize belonged to Kane. After years of near-misses, English football finally has another Ballon d’Or winner.
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