- Harry Kane was named the world's best player at a ceremony held in London, ending a 25-year wait for English football
- The Bayern Munich striker scored 61 club goals last season, a record for the German giants that no player had ever reached before
- Alexia Putellas, Lamine Yamal and Bukayo Saka were among the other winners at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony
Harry Kane has been crowned the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner, becoming the first English player to claim the award since Michael Owen did so in 2001.
The Bayern Munich captain received the honour at a ceremony held in London, finishing ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.
At 33, Kane is only the fifth Englishman to win the prize in its history, BBC Sport reports
Stanley Matthews took the honour in 1956, Bobby Charlton in 1966, and Kevin Keegan in both 1978 and 1979.
Kane's record-breaking season for Bayern
The numbers behind Kane's 2025-26 campaign were extraordinary.
The 33-year-old forward scored 61 goals in 51 club appearances for Bayern Munich, the highest total any player at the club has ever achieved in a single season, per Sky Sports.
That figure is 19 more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues managed across the same period.
The last time anyone matched that tally of 61 goals was Cristiano Ronaldo, who hit the same number for Real Madrid 11 years ago.
Kane was the Bundesliga's leading scorer with 36 goals, finishing 17 ahead of his nearest rival.
He added 14 in the Champions League and 10 in the German Cup, including a hat-trick in the 3-0 final victory over Stuttgart.
Kane's one goal in the German Super Cup rounded off a campaign that also saw Bayern win the domestic double.
Including his international duties, Kane scored 73 goals and added eight assists in 65 matches.
His 12 goals for England, among them six at the World Cup, also extended his total tally to 73 international goals.
First Bayern winner since 1981
Kane's triumph is also a milestone for Bayern Munich.
He is the first player from the club to win the Ballon d'Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claimed it in 1981, surpassing a generation of legendary strikers including Gerd Müller and Robert Lewandowski who never claimed the award as Bayern players.
Kane's win came despite not lifting either of football's two biggest prizes last season.
Both England and Bayern Munich were knocked out at the semi-final stage, in the World Cup and the Champions League respectively. In terms of trophies,
Kane's 2025-26 season brought the German Cup and Bundesliga title, his second consecutive Bundesliga winners' medal.
Other award winners at the 2026 Ballon d'Or
Several other major prizes were handed out on the night.
Spain winger Lamine Yamal claimed the Kopa Trophy for the best young male player, while Vicky López of Barcelona and Spain won the equivalent award for women.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente was named Men's Coach of the Year.
Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simón received the Yashin Trophy for the best male goalkeeper of the year.
Paris Saint-Germain were named Men's Club of the Year, with FC Barcelona Femení taking the women's equivalent.
Kane also collected the Gerd Müller Trophy for the top scorer of the year.
Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka received the Sócrates Award, which recognises a player's contribution to humanitarian and social causes beyond football.
In the women's game, Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d'Or Féminin.
The Spanish midfielder, who has represented both Barcelona and London City Lionesses, claimed the award ahead of the competition field.
Pere Romeu was named Women's Coach of the Year for his work with Barcelona Femení, while Cata Coll of Barcelona took the Women's Goalkeeper of the Year prize.
Kane wins top award before Ballon d'Or
Legit.ng previously reported about Harry Kane’s Marca 100 win, where he edged Lamine Yamal by just 25 points ahead of the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Kane scored 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country last season, a total surpassed in a single campaign only by Lionel Messi. With the Ballon d’Or set to be awarded in London on October 26, his remarkable record adds weight to his bid for another major honour.
Source: Legit.ng