England captain and Bayern Munich forward, Harry Kane, has been crowned the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner.
He defeated second-placed Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid and third-placed Lamine Yamal of Barcelona to secure the prize on Monday.
The ceremony, marking the 70th anniversary of the award, was held at the London Palladium. Kane received the trophy from Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazário.
The 33-year-old is the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001. He also emerged as the first Bayern Munich player to claim the honour since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
Kane secured the award despite missing out on major team trophies last season. Bayern Munich suffered a 6-5 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, while England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals.
This is the fifth time in 20 years that the Ballon d’Or has gone to a player who did not win the World Cup, Champions League, or a major continental tournament.
Kane, while delivering his acceptance speech, expressed gratitude to his supporters and acknowledged the demands of competition.
“I am almost speechless. Being here in London has made it extra special. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I can imagine it was tough this year. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees tonight“.
England manager Thomas Tuchel, out of many commended the captain for his outstanding performances;
“To become the first Englishman to win this huge honour in 25 years makes it extra special, and we are lucky to have you as our leader. I know you will enjoy this moment with your loved ones and then get back to doing what you do best, scoring goals and winning football matches”, Tuchel.
The striker’s victory was driven by a record-breaking domestic run, registering 61 goals in 51 club matches for Bayern Munich. Across all competitions, including national team duties, Kane recorded 73 goals and eight assists in 65 matches.
His 61 goals in Europe’s top five leagues placed him 19 goals clear of any other player. Kane also recorded 36 goals in the Bundesliga, 14 goals in the Champions League, and 10 goals in the German Cup.
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