Harry Kane has been named the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner, becoming the first Englishman in 25 years to claim the award. The Bayern Munich and England forward beat Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe to the prize at a ceremony held at the London Palladium.
Record-breaking season
Kane scored 73 goals in all competitions last season and has started the current campaign with 16 goals and nine assists. He captained England to the World Cup semi-finals over the summer.
The 33-year-old also helped Bayern Munich secure a domestic treble and lifted the European Golden Shoe, awarded to the top league goalscorer across Europe's top divisions.
Historic achievement for Bayern
Kane is the first Bayern Munich player to win the award in 45 years, since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981. He becomes the fourth Bayern winner, joining Gerd Muller and Franz Beckenbauer.
A large Bayern delegation attended the ceremony at the Palladium, including Michael Olise, Luis Diaz, Dayot Upamecano and Lennart Karl. President Herbert Hainer and chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen were also present, while sporting director Max Eberl stayed behind due to a cold.
Earlier announcement
The Ballon d'Or website had earlier published an article crowning Kane the winner before quickly removing it. Similar articles were also released for Yamal, Mbappe and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi.
