Harry Kane becomes first England player in 25 Years to win Ballon d’Or
Written by Leo James - @leojamesjourno
Until October 2026, no Englishman had won a Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001- Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is now the fifth player from his nation to achieve this feat, being crowned the best player in the world for the 25/26 season. The English talisman faced competition from Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, and Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal, who finished second and third place respectively.
33-year-old Kane scored 73 goals for club and country across the campaign, as well as captaining England to third place at the FIFA World Cup. He was the top scorer in the Bundesliga for the third season in a row, as part of a domestic treble-winning Bayern side for whom he scored 61 goals in 51 matches.
Harry Kane took to the stage to collect his prestigious award, stating that ‘anything is possible’. He reflected on the ups and downs of his career, as well as the sacrifices he has made to play the top level.
In his early career, Kane made 53 appearances in the EFL for Leyton Orient, Millwall and Leicester City, before solidifying himself as a Premier League staple at Tottenham Hotspur. He also had a brief loan stint at Norwich City, where he made 5 appearances.
After scoring 280 goals in 435 games for Tottenham, Kane then signed for Bayern Munich in a deal rising up to over £100 million. Since his transfer, he has found the back of the net a further 156 times in 159 matches.
Now, upon being crowned football’s greatest player in 2026, and after leading England to a World Cup quarter and semi-final, as well as two European finals, can Harry Kane be classed as England’s greatest ever player?
The ceremony itself was also significant for English football. Hosted at London’s Palladium
Theatre, it took place in the English capital for the first time in the event’s history, as a tribute
to the first ever Ballon d’Or winner, Sir Stanley Matthews.
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