Kane Wins First-Ever Ballon d'Or, Becoming First Englishman in 25 Years

Harry Kane (33, Bayern Munich) has claimed the Ballon d'Or, the world's most prestigious football award, for the first time in his career and for the first time as an English player in 25 years.

At the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony held at the London Palladium in the UK on October 27 (KST), Kane edged out fierce competitors such as Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) and Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) to be selected as the winner of the men's category.

Created by the French football magazine France Football, the Ballon d'Or is awarded to the player who has performed best globally over the past year, determined through votes by a panel of football journalists from various countries.

The men's award has been presented since 1956, and the women's award since 2018.

The ceremony has traditionally been held in Paris, France, but this year it was held in London, UK, for the first time to commemorate English football legend Stanley Matthews, the inaugural winner of the award.

Kane is the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001.

Furthermore, following inaugural winner Matthews, Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979), and Owen, Kane has become the fifth English nationality winner in history.

He is also the first player from the German professional football powerhouse Bayern Munich to win the award in 45 years, since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.

Kane secured a double by also receiving the Gerd Müller Trophy, awarded to the best striker of the year.

During the 2025-2026 season, Kane played a total of 65 matches for his club and national team, recording 73 goals and 8 assists.

Having scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga to claim the top scorer title for three consecutive seasons, Kane netted 61 goals in 51 matches for Munich alone to set a new club record for the most goals in a single season, while also scoring 12 goals wearing the England national team jersey.

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, he scored 6 goals to lead England to a third-place finish.
 
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.