Harry Kane has been crowned the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner, becoming the first English player in 25 years to claim football’s most prestigious individual award.
The Bayern Munich and England captain finished ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal in the voting and received the trophy at a ceremony held in London on Monday. The award, presented by France Football and voted on by a panel of journalists from around the world, recognises the outstanding player of the year.
Kane’s victory follows a remarkable campaign in which he scored 73 goals for club and country. The 33-year-old played a pivotal role in Bayern Munich’s domestic and European campaigns and helped guide England to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
The striker becomes only the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or and the first since Michael Owen received the honour in 2001.
Speaking during his acceptance speech, Kane expressed gratitude to those who supported him throughout his career.
“Being in London makes this even more special,” he said. “Thank you to everyone who voted for me.”
Mbappé, who became the leading scorer in World Cup history during the tournament, and Spain international Yamal completed the top three. Earlier in the day, organisers were forced to deal with an embarrassing error after the Ballon d’Or website appeared to prematurely reveal the names of award winners before the ceremony.
Kane succeeds Ousmane Dembélé, who won the award in 2025, while Rodri was the recipient in 2024. His triumph also marks a significant moment in an era long dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have won the Ballon d’Or eight and five times respectively.
The England captain dedicated part of his speech to his wife, Kate, thanking her for her unwavering support throughout his journey in football.
Kane also used the occasion to encourage young players, highlighting the challenges he overcame earlier in his career before establishing himself as one of the world’s leading forwards.
Elsewhere at the ceremony, Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal was named Men’s Young Player of the Year, while Spain manager Luis de la Fuente received the Coach of the Year award after leading his country to World Cup success. Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón was named Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
Results: Young players — Yamal and Lopez. Coaches — Romeu and De la Fuente. Goalkeepers — Coll and Simon. Clubs — Barcelona Femeni and Paris Saint-Germain. Top scorers — Corral and Kane. Ballon d’Or Feminin — Putellas. Ballon d’Or — Kane.
TONIGHT’S AWARDS, in reverse order
- Ballon d’Or: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/England)
- Ballon d’Or Feminin: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/London City Lionesses/Spain)
- Men’s striker of the year: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/England)
- Women’s striker of the year: Charlyn Corral (CF Pachuca/Mexico)
- Men’s club of the year: Paris Saint-Germain
- Women’s club of the year: Barcelona
- Socrates award: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal/England)
- Men’s goalkeeper of the year: Unai Simón (Athletic Club/Spain)
- Women’s goalkeeper of the year: Cata Coll (Barcelona/Spain)
- Men’s coach of the year: Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
- Women’s coach of the year: Pere Romeu (Barcelona)
- Women’s young player of the year: Vicky Lopez (MF, Barcelona/Spain)
- Men’s young player of the year: Lamine Yamal (FW, Barcelona/Spain)
About The Author
