England's Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, ending a 25-year drought for English footballers. He received the award at a ceremony in London on Monday, becoming the fifth Englishman to claim the honour. Kane's impressive performance in the 2025/26 season, scoring 73 goals for club and country, earned him the top prize. The Bayern Munich and England striker joins an exclusive group of English footballers to have won the award.
Kane finished ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in the voting conducted by an international panel of football journalists. His award caps a remarkable campaign, winning two trophies with Bayern Munich and helping the German club reach the Champions League semi-finals. Kane also scored six goals as England finished third at the World Cup, becoming the Three Lions' all-time leading scorer in the competition.
The 33-year-old Kane admitted he was overwhelmed by the recognition, saying he was "almost speechless" in his acceptance speech. He thanked his England teammates and staff, Bayern Munich and manager Vincent Kompany, who is recovering after collapsing at the club's training ground on Friday. Kane also acknowledged his former club Tottenham Hotspur and paid tribute to his family for their support throughout his career.
Kane's family played a significant role in his success, with his children being "the reason I do this" and his wife, Kate, being "my biggest supporter". England manager Thomas Tuchel led the tributes to Kane, praising his performances and leadership. Tuchel said he was delighted to see Kane formally recognised by the football world, adding that it was extra special for Kane to be the first Englishman to win the honour in 25 years.
Kane is only the fifth Englishman to win the men's Ballon d’Or, following Sir Stanley Matthews in 1956, Sir Bobby Charlton in 1966, Kevin Keegan in 1978 and 1979, and Michael Owen in 2001. He also remains England's all-time leading men's goalscorer with 91 goals and is closing in on becoming the country's most-capped player after equalling Peter Shilton's record of 125 appearances earlier this month.
Other winners at the ceremony included Spain international Alexia Putellas, who won the women's Ballon d’Or while playing for London City Lionesses. Barcelona were named women's club of the year, while Paris Saint-Germain claimed the men's award. Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for humanitarian work, and Lamine Yamal was named men's young talent of the year.
The ceremony also recognised Unai Simon and Cata Coll, who won the men's and women's goalkeeper awards, respectively. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Barcelona women's coach Pere Romeu were named coaches of the year. Kane's Ballon d’Or win marks a significant achievement for English football, with the striker's performances and leadership being formally recognised by the football world.
Key points
- Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d’Or, ending England's 25-year wait
- Kane scores 73 goals for club and country in 2025/26 season
- Kane becomes fifth Englishman to win men's Ballon d’Or
