Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or in London, ending England's 25-year wait

Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or in London on Monday, becoming the first Englishman to claim the award since Michael Owen in 2001. He finished ahead of Kylian Mbapp and Lamine Yamal for football’s top individual prize.

Kane scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for Bayern Munich and England in 2025-26, earning the European Golden Shoe as the leading goalscorer across Europe’s domestic leagues. The 33-year-old recorded 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern as the club captured the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal. He also scored 14 times in the Champions League during the season.

In the Champions League Kane’s 14 goals left him one behind Mbapp in the competition’s scoring charts. Bayern Munich’s campaign concluded in the semi-finals against Paris Saint-Germain, who went on to win the tournament. Those continental numbers formed part of his overall season return.

At the 2026 World Cup Kane scored six goals as England finished third in the tournament. Their captain moved past Gary Lineker to become the country's leading men's goalscorer in World Cup history, with 14 goals. Kane’s six World Cup goals further strengthened his case for the award.

Kane becomes only the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, following Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen. His victory ends a 25-year wait for an English winner.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.