Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d’Or and became the first English player since Michael Owen in 2001 to win the men’s Ballon d’Or. The Bayern Munich striker received football’s most prestigious individual award after a remarkable 2025-26 season for club and country.
Kane’s achievement ends a 25-year wait for England to have another winner of the men’s award. He joins an elite group of English footballers that includes Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen.
Harry Kane’s record-breaking season
Kane’s individual numbers played a major role in his triumph. He scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich across all competitions during the 2025-26 campaign. He also added 12 goals for England, taking his combined tally to 73 goals in 65 matches.
His performances helped Bayern enjoy a successful domestic campaign, while his goals for England strengthened his case for the award. Kane also scored six times at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where England reached the semi-finals.
The award marks another major milestone in a career defined by consistent goalscoring and years of pressure to deliver silverware. After spending the peak years of his career at Tottenham Hotspur, Kane moved to Bayern in 2023 in search of trophies and greater success on the European stage.
Kane had previously finished as high as 10th in the Ballon d’Or rankings. His rise to the top underlines the impact of his extraordinary scoring season and sustained performances at the highest level.
His victory also adds another chapter to the award’s history, which has recognised football’s leading talents since its introduction in 1956.
