Harry Kane Wins Men's Ballon d'Or in London

Harry Kane was presented with the men’s Ballon d'Or in London on Monday, becoming the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich forward scored 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country last season, helping Bayern secure a league and cup double and contributing six goals as England finished third at the World Cup.

"Without you guys (my Bayern teammates) and the rest of the team it wouldn't be possible, the way you guys push me, the way we compete. So thank you very much," Kane said after receiving the award.

"I love to represent my country and to bring this trophy back to them and have an English winner is something that's really, really special, especially here in London," he added.

Kane, who moved from Tottenham to Bayern in 2023, has led the Bundesliga in scoring for three consecutive seasons and was Europe’s top club scorer for the 2025-26 campaign. His performances earned him the highest individual honor in football despite earlier career setbacks, including a loss in the 2019 Champions League final with Tottenham and two European Championship final defeats with England.

In the women’s category, Alexia Putellas claimed her third Ballon d'Or, extending Spain’s dominance of the award. Lamine Yamal received the Young Talent award for the third year running, while Kylian Mbappé finished second in the men’s ranking. Luis de la Fuente was named men’s coach of the year after guiding Spain to World Cup glory, and Barcelona’s Pere Romeu won the women’s coach award. Spanish keepers Unai Simón and Cata Coll were recognized as the best men’s and women’s goalkeepers respectively.