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England captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first English footballer in 25 years to receive the prestigious individual award.
The 33-year-old was crowned the world’s best men’s footballer at a ceremony held at the London Palladium on Monday night.
He is the fifth Englishman to win the award, following Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen, who was the last English winner in 2001.
Kane enjoyed a remarkable 2025-26 season, scoring 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich and helping the German club win the Bundesliga title and the German Cup.
He also scored six goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, helping England reach the semi-finals.
Kane finished ahead of Spain’s Lamine Yamal and France’s Kylian Mbappe in the men’s award voting.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Alexia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time.
The Ballon d’Or, presented annually by France Football, is one of football’s most prestigious individual honours.