Sports Correspondent
England captain Harry Kane has ended his country’s 25-year wait for a Ballon d’Or winner after an extraordinary goal scoring season propelled him to football’s highest individual honour, ahead of Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé.
The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker was crowned the world’s best male footballer at London’s Palladium Theatre on Monday night, becoming the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.
Kane’s triumph headlined the 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or, which also saw Spain’s Alexia Putellas claim her third women’s title, while Barcelona and Spanish football enjoyed considerable success across the other categories.
The England captain scored 73 goals for club and country during the 2025/26 campaign, including 61 in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich as the German giants completed a domestic league and cup double.
He also scored six goals as England reached the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, further strengthening his claim against two of football’s most accomplished attacking talents.
His remarkable scoring record earned him a second honour on the night, the Men’s Gerd Müller Trophy, recognising the outstanding striker of the season.
For Kane, the Ballon d’Or represents the culmination of a career marked by exceptional consistency and a long struggle to turn individual achievements into major silverware.
He became Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time leading goalscorer but left the London club in 2023 without winning a major trophy. His first season at Bayern Munich also ended without silverware, prolonging a wait that had become a defining talking point of his career.
However, domestic success in Germany has since transformed that narrative, with the Ballon d’Or providing the ultimate individual recognition.
An emotional Kane acknowledged the significance of receiving the award in his home country.
“I am almost speechless. Being here in London has made it extra special,” he said during his acceptance speech.
Kane thanked those who voted for him, paid tribute to his teammates and coaches, and acknowledged the clubs and supporters who helped shape his career, particularly Tottenham, where he developed into one of Europe’s leading strikers.
His victory places him alongside Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen among England’s Ballon d’Or winners.
It also ends Bayern Munich’s long wait for a men’s winner, with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge the club’s previous recipient in 1981.
The occasion carried additional historical significance as London hosted the ceremony for the first time, 70 years after Matthews won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956.
In the women’s category, Putellas secured her third Ballon d’Or, adding to her victories in 2021 and 2022 after another successful campaign with Barcelona.
The Spanish midfielder helped the Catalan club secure a domestic treble and the Spanish Super Cup before joining London City Lionesses in July, ending a 14-year association with Barcelona.
Her latest triumph continued Spain’s dominance of the women’s award, following Aitana Bonmatí’s three consecutive victories between 2023 and 2025.
Yamal, meanwhile, missed out on the men’s top prize but collected the Kopa Trophy for the third successive year following another impressive campaign for Barcelona and Spain.
The teenage winger’s continued success reinforced his reputation as one of world football’s most promising young players.
Barcelona’s Vicky López claimed the women’s Kopa Trophy for the second consecutive year, highlighting the club’s strength in developing emerging talent.
Spain’s World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente received the Men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy after guiding his country to international glory, while Barcelona’s Pere Romeu won the women’s coaching award.
The goalkeeper honours also went to Spanish internationals, with Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simón collecting the Men’s Yashin Trophy and Barcelona’s Cata Coll winning the women’s equivalent.
Mexico international Charlyn Corral, who plays for Pachuca, received the Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy for her goalscoring achievements, joining Kane among the ceremony’s recognised attacking performers.
In the club categories, Paris Saint-Germain were named Men’s Club of the Year for the second consecutive time, while Barcelona secured the women’s award for the third time in four years.
Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka received the Sócrates Award for his humanitarian work through the Big Shoe charity, which supports disadvantaged young people.
The honour recognises footballers whose contributions to society extend beyond their performances on the pitch.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or assessment period covered performances between August 3, 2025, and July 19, 2026, taking into account domestic leagues, continental competitions and the FIFA World Cup.
Under the award’s regulations, voting considers individual performances, team achievements and fair play, with specialist football journalists determining the final rankings.
For Kane, the numbers tell much of the story: 73 goals, a domestic double with Bayern Munich and six goals at the World Cup.
Yet the significance of his victory extends beyond statistics.
For years, the England captain’s extraordinary scoring record was accompanied by questions about his inability to win major trophies. Those doubts followed him from Tottenham to Bayern Munich, even as he continued to establish himself among Europe’s most reliable goalscorers.
Now, after turning personal records into collective success, Kane has added football’s highest individual honour to his achievements.
