Kane wins 2026 Ballon d'Or to become first English winner since Owen in 2001

Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first English player to claim the award since Michael Owen in 2001 and the first Bayern Munich player to win it since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981. The Bayern and England striker finished clear of Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi in the voting.

Kane’s case was built on a remarkable season in which he scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich across all competitions, earning him a second European Golden Boot. He then carried that form into the World Cup, netting six times as England reached the semi-finals — where they eliminated France in a third-place play-off in July.

Prince William, the Football Association patron and heir to the British throne, was among the first to offer his congratulations. Posting on Instagram on Monday evening, he wrote: “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.”

The 33-year-old’s journey to the top of world football began at Tottenham Hotspur, where he arrived as a boy in 2004 and developed into one of the Premier League’s greatest strikers after loan spells at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City. He left English football as the second-highest scorer in Premier League history, one of only three players to have surpassed 200 goals in the competition, behind Alan Shearer.

The move to Bayern Munich in 2023 finally delivered the winners’ medals that had eluded him in North London. Kane is now a two-time Bundesliga champion and a DFB-Pokal winner, and the Ballon d’Or crowns a period of sustained excellence that has reshaped his legacy.

When Kane parades the trophy before his record 126th England cap against Croatia at Wembley next month, he will be nine goals short of a century of international goals — another milestone within reach for a player who continues to rewrite the record books.