Harry Kane becomes first Englishman to win Ballon d’Or since 2001

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1522 EAT on Tuesday 27 2026

The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker is the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, following Stanley Matthews in 1956, Bobby Charlton in 1966 and Kevin Keegan, who won the award in 1978 and 1979.

Scotland’s Denis Law won it in 1964, while Northern Ireland’s George Best claimed the honour in 1968, making them the other winners from the United Kingdom.

Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe finished second, while Barcelona and Spain attacker Lamine Yamal completed the top three.

Speaking to DAZN, Kane said his journey to the top had been marked by setbacks, hard work and self-belief.

“Not many people would have thought it, and maybe even I wouldn’t have thought I’d be this far,” he said.

“I had to go through many ups and downs, especially early in my career. I was never the person that people thought was going to be the superstar like some of the guys now.

“I had to bide my time and work hard. A lot of times, it was me against my own mind, and I had to come through it. I had to show self-belief and determination.

“I think that grounded me, even when I did make it at the highest level, to keep improving and keep getting better.”

England manager Thomas Tuchel said he was delighted to see Kane receive the award, describing the achievement as a huge honour.

Prince William also praised the former Tottenham Hotspur striker, describing him as a brilliant captain and a remarkable player.

Kane scored 61 goals in 51 club appearances last season, the highest tally ever recorded by a Bayern Munich player in a single campaign. Including his appearances for England, he scored 73 goals and provided eight assists in 65 matches.

Only one player representing a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues has scored more goals in a single season.

Kane’s victory comes despite Bayern failing to win either of football’s biggest prizes last season, with the striker’s teams falling short in the World Cup and Champions League semi-finals.

Remarkably, Kane is the first Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d’Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claimed the award in 1981.

To celebrate his achievement, the Wembley Stadium arch was illuminated in gold on Monday night.

BBC Sport examined the factors behind Kane’s victory and the rarity of winning the Ballon d’Or without securing one of football’s major trophies.

In terms of silverware, Kane may have won “only” the German double last season, but the achievement more than doubled his career trophy tally. He had previously won the Bundesliga title in the season before.

However, his individual statistics last season were unmatched. Kane, whose previous best Ballon d’Or finish was 10th, scored 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich, 19 more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.

It was also the highest tally recorded by any player since Cristiano Ronaldo scored 61 goals for Real Madrid 11 years earlier.

Kane finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer with 36 goals, 17 ahead of his nearest challenger. He also scored 14 goals in the Champions League, where Bayern reached the semi-finals.

In the German Cup, he scored 10 goals, including a hat-trick in the 3-0 final victory over Stuttgart. He also found the net once in the German Super Cup.

No player has ever scored more goals in a single season for Bayern Munich, a club that has featured legendary strikers such as Gerd Müller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Robert Lewandowski.

Kane’s 12 goals for England during the same period, including six at the World Cup, took his combined tally for club and country to 73.

Only Lionel Messi has scored more goals in a season for club and country while playing in Europe’s top leagues. The Argentine scored 82 for Barcelona and Argentina in the 2011–12 campaign.

Other players to have recorded exceptional tallies include Müller, who scored 72 goals in 1972–73; Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted 66 in both 2011–12 and 2014–15; former Brazil striker Ronaldo, who scored 66 in 1996–97; Erling Haaland, who recorded 64 in 2022–23; and Luis Suárez, who scored 64 in 2015–16.

Former England striker Alan Shearer backed Kane for the Ballon d’Or, telling BBC Sport: “The winner of the Ballon d’Or should be Harry Kane.

“His numbers for the last 12 to 18 months have been absolutely sensational for Bayern and for England. For that reason, he should get it.”

Former England international Danny Murphy also praised Kane’s consistency and impact at Bayern.

“His goalscoring has been relentless, brilliant. He’s had one of the best seasons of his career and it’ll be a great reward for him if he gets the trophy,” Murphy said.

“He’s been brilliant at Bayern Munich since he’s been there, adapted really well and he’s been the best centre-forward in the world for the last 12 months.”

The Ballon d’Or was initially restricted to European players when it was introduced in 1956. In 1995, the eligibility rules were changed to allow players of any nationality, provided they played for a European club. The award was opened to players worldwide in 2007.

Since the award’s eligibility expanded, four of the seven editions held in World Cup years have been won by players whose national teams lifted the trophy. Lionel Messi claimed the award in 2023 following Argentina’s victory at the 2022 World Cup, which was held in November and December.

However, Messi’s win was the first time since 2006 that the Ballon d’Or went to a World Cup winner in a World Cup year. Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić all won the award in subsequent years without winning the World Cup in those respective years.

Kane’s victory is also a rare occurrence in the modern era. He becomes only the latest player in the past 20 years to win the Ballon d’Or without claiming the World Cup, Champions League, European Championship or Copa América during the relevant period.

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who won the European Championship with Spain, had been among the favourites for the award but finished behind Kane.

Last year, winning the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain helped France forward Ousmane Dembélé secure the Ballon d’Or.

Kane faces challenge to retain Ballon d’Or

Harry Kane may have just won the Ballon d’Or, but attention is already turning to whether the Bayern Munich striker can retain the award next year.

The England captain has made an impressive start to the season, scoring 10 goals in his opening 12 matches for Bayern.

Including six goals in four Nations League matches for England, Kane has scored 16 goals in 16 appearances for club and country.

Bayern have also remained unbeaten in the Bundesliga and Champions League at the start of the campaign.

If the German side were to win a treble and Kane maintained his scoring rate of about a goal per game, he would be a strong contender to retain the award, particularly in a season without a World Cup, European Championship or Copa América.

Winning the Ballon d’Or in consecutive years, however, is a rare achievement. The last player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award in successive years was Marco van Basten, who claimed it in 1988 and 1989.

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal is expected to provide strong competition after finishing second and third in the previous two editions.

The Spain international has also made an impressive start to the season, recording 10 goals and 10 assists in 13 appearances for Barcelona across La Liga and the Champions League.

Barcelona’s prospects in the Champions League could also influence the race, with success in Europe’s premier club competition often playing a significant role in determining the winner.

Yamal, who would be 19 or 20 depending on the timing of the award, could also challenge for the distinction of becoming the youngest Ballon d’Or winner.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé is another potential contender after scoring 14 goals in 13 appearances for club and country. The France international will be seeking his first Ballon d’Or.

Brazilian Ronaldo remains the youngest winner of the award, having claimed it in 1997 at the age of 21.

Arsenal, who have never produced a Ballon d’Or winner, and Paris Saint-Germain are also among the clubs expected to challenge for Champions League honours, a factor that could shape next year’s individual award race.

-BBC

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