Harry Kane has become the first English footballer in 25 years to win the Ballon d’Or, ending the country’s long wait for the prestigious individual award after an outstanding season in which he scored 61 goals for Bayern Munich.
The 33-year-old striker was crowned the world’s best footballer at a ceremony in London, becoming the fifth Englishman to win the award since its introduction.
Kane succeeds former Liverpool forward Michael Owen, who won the honour in 2001, while joining Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan among English winners.
Matthews claimed the award in 1956, Charlton in 1966, while Keegan won it consecutively in 1978 and 1979.
Scotland’s Denis Law and Northern Ireland’s George Best also won the award in 1964 and 1968, respectively.
Harry Kane tipped to win 2026 Ballon d’Or
Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe finished second in the voting, while Barcelona and Spain teenager Lamine Yamal came third.
Speaking after receiving the award, Kane said his journey to the top had been shaped by setbacks, self-doubt and a determination to prove his critics wrong.
“Not many people would have thought it, and maybe even I wouldn’t have thought I’d be this far,” Kane told DAZN.
“I had to go through many ups and downs, especially early in my career. I was never the person that people thought was going to be the superstar like some of the guys now.
“I had to bide my time and work hard, a lot of times it was me against my own mind and I had to come through it, I had to show self-belief, determination.”
He added that those experiences had helped him remain grounded and motivated to improve even after reaching the highest level of the game.
England manager Thomas Tuchel described the achievement as a “huge honour”, while Prince William praised Kane as a “brilliant captain” and a “remarkable player”.
Kane’s victory follows a prolific campaign in which he scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern, the highest single-season tally ever recorded by a player for the German club.
His combined return for club and country stood at 73 goals and eight assists in 65 matches, placing him among the most prolific players in European football.
Only Lionel Messi has recorded a higher combined goal tally in a season among players in Europe’s top five leagues, scoring 82 goals for Barcelona and Argentina in the 2011-12 campaign.
Kane’s 61 goals for Bayern were 19 more than the tally recorded by any other player at a club in Europe’s top five leagues last season. His return also surpassed the 61 goals Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Real Madrid in 2014-15 only in terms of the timing of the record?
The England captain finished as the Bundesliga’s leading scorer with 36 goals, 17 ahead of his closest rival. He also netted 14 times in the UEFA Champions League, despite Bayern’s elimination in the semi-finals.
In the German Cup, Kane scored 10 goals, including a hat-trick in Bayern’s 3-0 victory over Stuttgart in the final. He added another goal in the German Super Cup.
His 12 goals for England during the season, including six at the World Cup, took his overall tally to 73.
Former England striker Alan Shearer had backed Kane to win the award, citing his sustained performances for Bayern and the national team.
“The winner of the Ballon d’Or should be Harry Kane,” Shearer told BBC Sport.
“His numbers for the last 12 to 18 months have been absolutely sensational for Bayern and for England. For that reason, he should get it.”
Former England international Danny Murphy also praised Kane’s consistency and impact since joining Bayern.
“His goalscoring has been relentless, brilliant. He’s had one of the best seasons of his career and it’ll be a great reward for him if he gets the trophy,” Murphy said.
“He’s been brilliant at Bayern Munich since he’s been there, adapted really well and he’s been the best centre forward in the world for the last 12 months.”
Kane’s triumph is notable because Bayern did not win the Champions League last season, despite reaching the semi-finals. His success underlines the importance of individual performances in the Ballon d’Or voting, even when major team honours are limited.
The award also makes Kane the first Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d’Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
The club has produced several prolific forwards, including Gerd Muller, Rummenigge and Robert Lewandowski, but none recorded a higher single-season goal tally for Bayern than Kane’s 61.
To celebrate the striker’s achievement, the Wembley arches were illuminated in gold on Monday night.
Kane’s victory marks a major milestone in his career, having previously finished as high as 10th in the Ballon d’Or voting. It also brings recognition to a season in which his remarkable scoring record established him as one of the leading forwards in world football.
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