Kane wins Ballon d'Or to become first Englishman crowned world's best in 25 years

Harry Kane has won the Ballon d’Or, becoming the first English player to claim football’s most prestigious individual award since Michael Owen lifted it in 2001. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker was presented with the trophy at a ceremony in London on Monday evening, also taking home the Striker of the Year award.

Kane’s victory was built on a remarkable season in Bavaria, where he scored 61 goals in 51 appearances to help Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga and the German Cup. He carried that form into the international arena, netting six times as England finished third at the World Cup under Thomas Tuchel.

“I am almost speechless,” Kane said on stage after collecting the award. “Being here in London has made it extra special — made it a good omen for me tonight. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I can imagine it was tough this year. Some world-class players in the room tonight.”

Kane paid tribute to his club teammates and manager Vincent Kompany, who was absent from the ceremony. “Without you guys and the rest of the team it wouldn’t be possible,” he said. “To Vinny — I know he is at home or still in the hospital. Wishing you well. I hope this gave you a bit of energy. Since I have been with you I have improved as a player, improved as a person and a leader.”

Kane’s closest rival for the award was Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who scored 24 goals and registered 18 assists for the Spanish club last season while also starring for Spain as they won the World Cup in the United States.

Among Kane’s England teammates, Jude Bellingham finished 11th despite another strong year for Real Madrid, while Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice accumulated enough votes for 15th place. The full bottom half of the top 20 also featured Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi (12th), PSG’s Achraf Hakimi (13th) and Vitinha (14th), Ferran Torres of Barcelona (16th), Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr (17th) and Marc Cucurella (18th), and PSG pair Joao Neves (19th) and Willian Pacho (20th).