Why did Harry Kane win the Ballon d'Or 2026? Goals the name of the game for Bayern Munich, England star

Why did Harry Kane win the Ballon d'Or 2026? Goals the name of the game for Bayern Munich, England star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After a year-long wait, plus a little extra after a slight delay for London traffic, the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner was finally revealed at the Palladium Theatre in the English capital.

Fittingly, Harry Kane became the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001, as the 33-year-old won his first career trophy at the gala on Monday evening.

The Bayern Munich star has been a sensation for the England national team for over a decade, recently breaking the national team's appearance record, and has now been crowned the best player in the world over the past calendar year.

The Sporting News details exactly why Kane was the the winner of this year's trophy, beating out Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe in what ceremony host Kate Scott called one of the closest races in years.

MORE:Recap the entire 2026 Ballon d'Or results and ceremony

Why did Harry Kane win the Ballon d'Or?

Harry Kane's first career Ballon d'Or triumph finally arrived at 33 years old, and it was most certainly deserved. In the end, Kane boasted the best combination of individual stats, team importance, and on-field team results of any candidate.

Undeniably, the most glittering part of Kane's resume are his goals. The Bayern Munich star scored an incredible 64 goals across 60 matches for club and country, including 36 goals in 31 Bundesliga matches.

Behind this incredible season-long performance, Bayern triumphed in the Bundesliga, winning their second straight German league title by a strong margin, finishing 16 points above second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

He was exceptional in the Champions League, scoring 14 goals in 13 games as Bayern reached the semifinals. He found the back of the net in each of Bayern's final five knockout matches in the competition, including a goal and an assist in the wild 5-4 defeat to PSG in the first leg of their semifinal that ultimately proved their demise. He did not ultimately win the title, but that was hardly down to his performances.

Then, at the World Cup, Kane was a behemoth for England, including an iconic brace against DR Congo in the Round of 16 to see England come from behind late to avoid the upset and advance. He would then also score from the penalty spot against Mexico in that epic game at Estadio Azteca where England held off the hosts despite playing a man down.

Kylian Mbappe may have scored more Champions League and World Cup goals, and Lamine Yamal may have won the World Cup, but Harry Kane had the best combination of individual stardom and team success of the three frontrunners. He is the deserving victor.

MORE:Comparing Harry Kane's stats with Lamine Yamal for 2025/26 season

Harry Kane goals, assists for 2025/26 season