Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or to end England's 25-year wait

Harry Kane became the first Englishman in 25 years to win the men's Ballon d'Or on Monday night, when the Bayern Munich striker was named the 2026 winner at a ceremony in London.

Kane finished ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé in second place and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in third, according to the final rankings. Rodri placed fourth and Lionel Messi of Inter Miami fifth.

His name emerged from the final envelope about two hours into the evening at the Palladium Theatre, drawing loud cheers from the auditorium. The event had started at 8.45pm after a 45-minute delay blamed on London traffic.

Reports said the Ballon d'Or website had published three separate articles hours earlier, naming Kane, Yamal and Mbappé as the winner.

Kane, who thanked England, Bayern and former club Tottenham, told the audience, "It's just the journey. For any young boy or girl who wants to achieve their dream, anything is possible."

He went on, "I hope my journey, it wasn't straightforward, I didn't go straight to the top, I had to experience a lot of loan moves and fight my way to get to where I am now. I hope that can give you inspiration, and thank you very much."

At a later press conference, Kane recalled, "My heart was beating fast and I was just hoping that (Ronaldo, who presented the award) would say my name. It's beyond my wildest dreams."

Michael Olise, Luis Díaz, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham were among the players he thanked. "As much as this is an individual award, I'll give thanks to them because it wouldn't be possible without any of them and that's what makes a team," Kane said.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel led the tributes from the national side. "I ran out of superlatives to describe your performances a long time ago, but I'm delighted to see that you have now been formally recognised by the football world," he said.

The Prince of Wales, patron of the Football Association, wrote on Instagram, "What a fantastic achievement and so deserved." Wembley's arch and Bayern's Allianz Arena were both lit up in Kane's honour.

Pundit Jamie Carragher backed the switch from Tottenham to Bayern. "It's a move he needed to make," he said, adding, "There's no way Harry Kane could've won the Ballon d'Or if he was playing for Tottenham."

Kane becomes the fifth Englishman to take the prize, following Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen. The trophy is decided by a vote of journalists and administrators.

The award arrives 16 years into a professional career that included loan spells at Leyton Orient and Millwall. Bayern paid a record €100m up front for him three years ago, when he was 30.

Kane scored 73 goals for club and country last season, while a separate tally puts his output at 89 since the start of August 2025. He also won the European Golden Boot, played a major role in Bayern's Bundesliga title and captained England to a World Cup semi-final.

Earlier this month, he equalled England's all-time caps record, taking his international tally to 91 goals in 125 appearances.

Alexia Putellas of London City Lionesses won the women's Ballon d'Or moments before Kane's announcement. It was her third, five years after her first with Barcelona.

Spain's Luis de la Fuente and Barcelona's Pere Romeu took the men's and women's Coach of the Year awards. Yamal and his Barcelona and Spain team-mate Vicky López were named the young talents of the year.

Kane added the men's Striker of the Year award, with Charlyn Corral of CF Pachuca and Mexico winning the women's equivalent. Athletic Club's Unai Simón was named men's goalkeeper of the year.

At 33, Kane now turns to a home European Championship two years away, where he expects to captain England.