Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or: first Englishman since Michael Owen after a 73-goal season
Harry Kane beat Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to the 2026 Ballon d'Or at the London Palladium, becoming the first English winner in 25 years. "Wow, wow, wow," he said. "I'm almost speechless."
Harry Kane is the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner. The Bayern Munich and England captain was crowned at the London Palladium on Monday night, ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, becoming the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001 — and only the fifth English winner ever.
Why Kane won
The award judges the 2025-26 season, and Kane's was historic:
- 73 goals for club and country.
- Goals by the bucketload for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
- Captain of the England side that reached the World Cup semi-finals.
He also collected the award for the season's best striker. "This was an incredible year for me," Kane said. "This has been the best season of my career."
The speech
Kane appeared emotional on stage. "Wow, wow, wow. First of all, wow, I'm almost speechless — lucky I have this list here," he said. "Thank you to everyone who voted for me, I can imagine it was tough."
He thanked his Bayern team-mates — "It's an honour to play for Bayern Munich" — his England team-mates and staff, Tottenham, England coach Thomas Tuchel and his wife, Katie, whom he called his best friend.
Tuchel: "I ran out of superlatives"
England coach Thomas Tuchel sent his congratulations: "Congratulations, Harry, on a deserved Ballon d'Or. I ran out of superlatives to describe your performances a long time ago. To become the first Englishman to win this huge honour in 25 years makes it extra special." He added that England are "lucky" to have Kane as their leader.
How the top ten finished
| Pos | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich |
| 2–3 | Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal | Real Madrid, Barcelona |
| 4–5 | Rodri, Lionel Messi | Barcelona, Inter Miami |
| 6 | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | PSG |
| 7 | Ousmane Dembélé | PSG |
| 8 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City |
| 9 | Michael Olise | Bayern Munich |
| 10 | Fabián Ruiz | PSG |
Mbappé — who became the World Cup's all-time top scorer this summer with 22 goals — and Yamal, a world champion with Spain, completed the podium. Yamal won the young player award, but said team-mate Pau Cubarsí "deserved to win it".
English winners of the Ballon d'Or
| Year | Player |
|---|---|
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews |
| 1966 | Bobby Charlton |
| 1978, 1979 | Kevin Keegan |
| 2001 | Michael Owen |
| 2026 | Harry Kane |
See every winner on our Ballon d'Or winners list and all of Monday night's awards in our full Ballon d'Or 2026 results.
What's next for Kane
Bayern are top of the Bundesliga on goal difference and host Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, with coach Vincent Kompany recovering in hospital — see our Kompany update.
FAQ
Who won the Ballon d'Or 2026? Harry Kane of Bayern Munich and England, ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal.
When did an Englishman last win the Ballon d'Or? Michael Owen in 2001. Kane is the first English winner in 25 years.
How many goals did Kane score in 2025-26? 73 goals for club and country.
