Harry Kane stood in London with the Ballon d’Or and looked back to the loan spells that had once taken him through Leyton Orient and Millwall. “It's just the journey. For any young boy or girl who wants to achieve their dream, anything is possible. I hope my journey, it wasn't straightforward, I didn't go straight to the top, I had to experience a lot of loan moves and fight my way to get to where I am now,” he said at the ceremony.
The 33-year-old Bayern Munich and England striker won the 2026 Ballon d’Or at the Palladium Theatre on 26 October 2026. He became the first Englishman to claim the award in 25 years, since Michael Owen won it in 2001.
Kane finished ahead of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé, who was second, and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who was third. He also collected the Men’s Striker of the Year award on the same night.
The ceremony had been due to begin earlier, but London traffic pushed the start back by 45 minutes to 8.45pm as many star names arrived late. Monday’s event was the first Ballon d’Or ceremony held in London, marking 70 years since England’s Stanley Matthews became the inaugural winner in 1956.
For Kane, the award followed a season in which he scored 73 goals and made 8 assists in 65 appearances for club and country. He was Europe’s top overall club goalscorer and led Bayern to the Bundesliga and German Cup double. A hat trick against Stuttgart in the German Cup final secured that domestic double.
He has been the Bundesliga’s leading scorer for three consecutive seasons. Kane joined Bayern from Tottenham in August 2023, aged 30, for a record €100m fee up front. Before that move, he had established himself as Tottenham’s all-time leading goalscorer after rising through English football via his earlier loan spells.
His international year brought another set of milestones. As England captain, Kane led the side to third place at the World Cup and scored six times, passing Gary Lineker as England’s highest World Cup scorer. Earlier this month, he equalled England’s all-time caps record, having reached 91 international goals in 125 appearances.
Kane said his scoring record had been a total team effort. Reflecting again on his route to the top, he said: “My journey wasn't straightforward. I had to fight my way to be the very best right now.”
Thomas Tuchel, England’s head coach, congratulated Kane, saying: “To become the first Englishman to win this huge honour in 25 years makes it extra special”. Prince William, patron of the Football Association, wrote on Instagram: “What a fantastic achievement and so deserved. A brilliant captain, a remarkable player and someone who has given football fans across the world so many unforgettable moments.”
England will host the Euros two years from now.
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