Kane becomes first Englishman in 25 years to win Ballon d'Or after record-breaking Bayern season

Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or on Monday evening in London, becoming the first Englishman to claim the award since 1999 and Bayern Munich’s first winner since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981. The England captain’s victory capped a season in which he scored 61 goals for the Bavarians and helped the club to a Bundesliga title and German Cup double.

After collecting the trophy, Kane headed to Cirque Le Soir in Soho, where he was greeted with champagne sparklers. His wife Kate and brother Charlie, who had attended the ceremony, were among those celebrating alongside him. Former Tottenham teammates Eric Dier, Ben Davies and Matt Doherty were also spotted on the dancefloor. A contingent of Bayern players and staff had travelled to London to support Kane’s bid for the award.

In his acceptance speech, Kane paid tribute to his Bayern colleagues and head coach Vincent Kompany, who was absent due to a hospital stay. “My Bayern Munich team-mates — I’ve got a few here tonight, without you it wouldn’t have been possible,” Kane said. “Vincent, I know he’s at home, still in the hospital, so wishing him very well. Hope this has given you a bit of energy.”

Kane also acknowledged Tottenham Hotspur, the club where he spent his entire career before joining Bayern in 2023. “I wanna say thank you to Tottenham Hotspur as well. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Tottenham for sure. I was here from 11 years old. All the guidance, all the coaches — you allowed me to live my dream.”

Despite the individual milestone, Kane’s season was not without frustration. Bayern were eliminated at the Champions League semi-final stage, and England fell at the World Cup. The 61-goal haul across all competitions, however, proved decisive with voters, edging out a field Kane described as featuring “some incredible players” and “world-class players in the room tonight”.