Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d’Or, becomes first Englishman in 25 years

Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, beating Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to the prestigious award in London on Monday to become the first Englishman to claim the honour in 25 years.

The Bayern Munich striker enjoyed a remarkable 2025-26 season, scoring 73 goals across all competitions for club and country to earn the European Golden Shoe.

Kane played a key role in Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in Germany last season. He also scored 14 goals in the UEFA Champions League, finishing behind Real Madrid’s Mbappé, who netted 15, despite Bayern’s semi-final exit to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.

On the international stage, Kane captained England to third place at the World Cup, their best finish since winning the tournament in 1966. He scored six goals during the competition, including two late strikes against DR Congo and another against Mexico in the round of 16 at the Azteca.

Kane has also continued to strengthen his place in English football history. This season, he equalled Peter Shilton’s record of 125 England appearances, set in 1990. Already England’s all-time leading goalscorer, he has extended his international tally to 91 goals.