Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d'Or, ending England's 25-year wait

Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane has won the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Englishman to claim football's most prestigious individual prize since Michael Owen in 2001. The 33-year-old scored 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country last season, leading Bayern Munich to a Bundesliga and German Cup double and captaining England to a third-place finish at the World Cup. Source: BBC Source: CNN

The ceremony

The award was presented at a ceremony held at the London Palladium Theatre, the first time the event has taken place in London. The evening was described by The Guardian as "a startlingly shrill and bloated evening" dominated by celebrity culture, though Kane's emotional acceptance speech — in which he thanked his family, coaches, and even José Mourinho — provided a genuinely heartwarming moment. Source: The Guardian Kane himself said: "Being here in London has made it extra special." Source: DW

The vote

Kane beat Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé into second place, with Barcelona and Spain teenager Lamine Yamal finishing third. Source: BBC Yamal, who won La Liga and the World Cup with Spain, was named Young Talent of the Year for a third successive year. Source: CNN The voting is conducted by selected journalists who rank their top ten players. Source: CNN

Reaction and context

Kane's win ends a long drought for the Bundesliga: the last player based in Germany to win was Borussia Dortmund's Matthias Sammer in 1996, and the last Bayern Munich player was Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981. Source: DW Bayern president Herbert Hainer said Kane now stands alongside club legends Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Rummenigge. Source: Euronews England coach Thomas Tuchel said he had "run out of superlatives" for Kane's performances. Source: NPR

Women's award

In the women's category, Barcelona's Alexia Putellas won her third Ballon d'Or Féminin, equalling the record. She captained Barcelona to a quadruple of trophies before signing for London City Lionesses. Source: CNN