Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d'Or, first Englishman to take it in 25 years

Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

The Bayern Munich striker took football's top individual prize on Monday, Oct. 26, at the London Palladium, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal. It was the 70th edition of the awards, and the first held in Kane's home city.

A 25-year wait ends

Kane is the fifth Englishman to win the men's award. The others are Sir Stanley Matthews in 1956, Sir Bobby Charlton in 1966, Kevin Keegan in 1978 and 1979, and Michael Owen in 2001.

Matthews was the first winner in 1956. The 70th-anniversary milestone is why the ceremony moved from Paris to London.

Kane is also the first Bundesliga player to win since Borussia Dortmund's Matthias Sammer in 1996. The Times of India reported that he is the first winner to do it as a Bayern player, and that this was his seventh nomination.

The same evening he collected the striker's award, which carries the Gerd Müller name. The Times of India put his season at 73 goals in 65 appearances for Bayern and England, alongside eight assists.

Michael Owen presented the women's prize. Former Brazil star Ronaldo presented the men's award to Kane, according to the Bundesliga's ceremony recap.

Kane's reaction

"I am almost speechless," Kane said on stage. "Being here in London has made it extra special."

He thanked England teammates and manager Thomas Tuchel. "We had a special year. It wasn't the perfect year, but we had a load of great moments," Kane said. "This one is for all of us for sure."

He also addressed Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, who was not at the ceremony. "I know he is at home or still in the hospital. Wishing you well. I hope this gave you a bit of energy," Kane said.

Tuchel said in a statement: "I ran out of superlatives to describe your performances a long time ago, but I'm delighted to see that you have now been formally recognised by the football world." He called Kane's win "extra special" as the first by an Englishman in 25 years.

Prince William called Kane "a brilliant captain, a remarkable player." Wembley was lit up in tribute, and England's official X account called it "the home of the world's best footballer."

The trophy question and the Yamal campaign

Kane's career has carried one persistent complaint. The Independent wrote that his career "may not have delivered the most coveted team trophies," and the Times of India said he had fallen short in earlier years amid a lack of major team silverware.

The Ballon d'Or is an individual award, decided this year by 100 journalists worldwide. The Independent reported that Yamal tried to undermine Kane's candidacy before the vote by hinting he lacked the "magic" of a true winner. The Independent also reported that Mbappé courted the African voting bloc.

Yamal still took the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21, his third in a row. He used his time on stage to back a teammate. "This award should have been his because he plays at an incredibly high level," Yamal said of Barcelona's Pau Cubarsí.

A messy night in London

The ceremony ran well behind schedule. The Independent reported that a half-hour delay stretched to an hour, and that Kane did not reach the stage until 10:51 p.m. local time.

The Independent also reported that the Ballon d'Or website briefly published articles declaring all three favourites the winner before the ceremony began. The pieces were deleted, but not before screenshots circulated.

The other winners

Spain dominated several categories after its World Cup title. Coach Luis de la Fuente won men's coach of the year and goalkeeper Unai Simón took the men's goalkeeper award. Paris Saint-Germain was named men's club of the year.

In the women's awards, Barcelona's Alexia Putellas won her third Ballon d'Or Féminin. Her club teammate Vicky López won the women's Kopa Trophy, Cata Coll took goalkeeper of the year and coach Pere Romeu won coach of the year. Barcelona was named women's club of the year. England winger Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for his charity work.

Speaking to DAZN after the ceremony, Kane said he was never expected to become a superstar. "I had to bide my time and work hard, a lot of times it was me against my own mind," he said. "No matter what I achieve, how many goals I score, winning the Ballon d'Or, it's always about getting better."