# Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or, ends England's 25-year wait _The Bayern Munich and England striker won the 2026 award at the London Palladium on 26 October 2026._ - Publisher: Apex Sports News (https://apexsportsnews.in) - Canonical URL: https://apexsportsnews.in/news/harry-kane-wins-ballon-d-or-ends-england-s-25-year-wait - Author: Atul, Editor (https://apexsportsnews.in/author/atul) - Published: 2026-10-27T04:41:15.510Z - Section: Football > Champions League - Topics: England, Bayern Munich, Harry Kane, Football, Ballon d'Or ## Summary Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or after scoring 73 goals for club and country in the 2025-26 season. He became the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001. ## Key takeaways - Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or in London on 26 October 2026, according to RevSportz. - He scored 73 goals for club and country during the 2025-26 season, as reported by Outlook India. - Kane helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga and German Cup double, reported by Deccan Chronicle. - He became the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001, according to Al Jazeera. - Kylian Mbappe finished second in the voting, according to RevSportz. ## Article Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Englishman to claim football's top individual honour since Michael Owen in 2001. The Bayern Munich and England striker was crowned the world's best men's footballer at a ceremony in London on Monday, 26 October 2026, following a record-breaking season for club and country. RevSportz reported that Kane's victory ends a 25-year wait for England. ## Record-breaking season Kane scored 73 goals for club and country during the 2025-26 season, making him Europe's top scorer. For Bayern Munich, he netted 61 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions, helping the German club secure a domestic league and cup double. Bayern also reached the Champions League semifinals. Kane scored a hat trick against Stuttgart in the German Cup final. ## World Cup impact Kane carried his form into international football, scoring six times at the World Cup as England reached the semi-finals. His tally saw him pass Gary Lineker as England's all-time leading World Cup scorer and placed him among the all-time top five in tournament history. England lost to Argentina in the semifinals but beat Mbappe's France for third place. ## The ceremony and voting The 2026 Ballon d'Or was the 70th annual ceremony, presented by France Football, recognising the best footballers in the world in the 2025-26 season. For the fifth time in the history of the award, it was given based on the results of the season instead of the calendar year, covering the period from 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026. The ceremony took place at the London Palladium in London, marking the first time the event was organised outside France. Kylian Mbappe finished second in the voting, with Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi completing the top five. ## Kane's reaction Kane said winning the prestigious individual award was built on so much more. "Anything is possible with hard work, when no one else is watching, to go through the ups and downs, to learn through resilience, determination and self-belief," Kane said in a message to young players, after reflecting on his early career struggles. "My journey wasn't straightforward. I wasn't the kid who went straight to the top. I had to experience the downs," he added. "I had to fight my way to be the very best right now. I hope that can give you inspiration as well." He also thanked his teammates, coaches, parents, children and wife Kate, calling her his best friend and biggest supporter. ## Career context Kane struggled to establish himself at Tottenham Hotspur as a youngster and spent time on loan before becoming one of the most prolific forwards of his generation. He is Tottenham Hotspur's all-time top goalscorer with 280 goals, England's all-time top goalscorer with 91 goals, and the highest-scoring English player in the UEFA Champions League with 58 goals. He is also the Premier League's second-highest all-time goalscorer with 213 goals and the sixth-highest goalscorer for Bayern Munich with 156 goals. He has scored over 500 career goals for club and country. ## Other honours In the women's category, Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d'Or Feminin for the third time after helping Barcelona enjoy a successful campaign before moving to London City Lionesses in July. Other honours went to Yamal and Vicky Lopez in the young-player categories, while Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Barcelona's Pere Romeu received the coaching awards. ### Ballon d'Or 2026 men's top five | Rank | Player | Club | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | | 2 | Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid | | 3 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | | 4 | Rodri | Manchester City | | 5 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | ### Related on Apex Sports News - [Alexia Putellas wins women’s Ballon d’Or for joint-record third time](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/alexia-putellas-wins-women-s-ballon-d-or-for-joint-record-third-time) - [Harry Kane favourite to win 2026 Ballon d'Or ahead of London ceremony](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/harry-kane-favourite-to-win-2026-ballon-d-or-ahead-of-london-ceremony) - [Bayern Munich 2-2 Arsenal: Declan Rice secures draw for Gunners in Champions League after Harry Kane penalty](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/bayern-munich-2-2-arsenal-declan-rice-secures-draw-for-gunners-in-champions) ### Sources - [RevSportz](https://revsportz.in/harry-kane-wins-ballon-dor-after-record-breaking-season/) - [deccanchronicle.com](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/sports/harry-kane-wins-ballon-dor-becomes-first-englishman-since-2001-to-win-award-1999186) - [Photo: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_Kane_England_v_Panama_27_June_26-092.jpg) --- Source: Apex Sports News, https://apexsportsnews.in/news/harry-kane-wins-ballon-d-or-ends-england-s-25-year-wait. 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