Harry Kane has won the Ballon d’Or, ending England’s 25-year wait

Harry Kane became the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001 when he beat Kylian Mbappa and Lamin Yamal to become football’s most prestigious individual award in London on Monday.

Kane’s win follows the most prolific season of his career. In 2025-26, he scored 73 goals in 65 games for Bayern Munich and England and won the European Golden Boot after finishing as the top scorer in domestic European leagues.

The 33-year-old played a key role in Bayern’s Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal triumphs, scoring 61 goals in all competitions for the German club. He also struck 14 times in the Champions League and finished one goal behind Mbappe in the competition’s top scorers table as Bayern’s campaign ended in the semi-finals against eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.

Kane’s six goals at the 2026 World Cup further boosted his defending champions. England finished third in the tournament as their captain overtook Gary Lineker to become the top scorer in World Cup history with 14 goals.

The Ballon d’Or makes Kane only the fifth Englishman to win the award, following Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen. His victory ends the 25-year wait for an English winner.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

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