Harry Kane won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or at a ceremony at London’s Palladium on Monday, becoming the first Englishman in 25 years to take football’s top individual award. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker beat Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal.
The prize caps a standout season for Kane at Bayern, the German club he joined after leaving Tottenham Hotspur. He scored 61 goals in all competitions, including 36 in 31 Bundesliga games, giving the jury a formidable club record to consider.
Kane also captained England at the World Cup, where the team finished third. It was England’s best result at the tournament in six decades, adding an international achievement to the goals that defined his year with Bayern.
The Ballon d’Or is awarded to an individual player, but Kane used his acceptance speech to thank the teammates and family members in the room. He said he was “almost speechless” and described playing for Bayern as an honor.
For Kane, the win is a first after a career spent among the game’s leading scorers. He is England’s all-time top scorer and Bayern’s joint sixth-highest scorer, and had already built his reputation through prolific spells with Tottenham and the national team.
Yamal, the young Spain forward, finished behind Kane after placing second to Ousmane Dembélé last year. He did leave London with the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21, his third consecutive win of that award. Mbappé was also among the leading contenders for the main prize.
Kane shared the Striker of the Year award with Mexico and CF Pachuca forward Charlyn Corral. The ceremony also recognized Spain’s Alexia Putellas, who won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time. Kane now returns to the club season with his first Ballon d’Or alongside his record tally.
