Harry Kane has been awarded the Ballon d’Or, marking the first time an English player has claimed the prestigious honor since Michael Owen in 2001. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker was crowned at a gala ceremony in London, where his record-breaking season was formally recognized.
Kane joins a select group of five Englishmen to receive the trophy, alongside Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966), and Kevin Keegan, who won consecutive awards in 1978 and 1979. Other United Kingdom winners include Scotland’s Denis Law in 1964 and Northern Ireland’s George Best in 1968. Additionally, Kane is the first Bayern Munich player to secure the title since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
The forward enjoyed an extraordinary individual season, netting 61 goals in 51 club matches—a new single-season record for Bayern. Across all competitions, including international duty for England, his tally reached 73 goals and eight assists in 65 appearances. These numbers place him among the most prolific scorers in the history of Europe’s top five leagues.
Reflecting on his journey, Kane told Dazn that he never imagined reaching these heights, noting that he was not viewed as a superstar early in his career. And maybe even I wouldn’t have thought I’d be this far,” Kane told Dazn, not many people would have thought it. Especially early in my career, i had to go through many ups and downs. I was never the person that people thought was going to be the superstar like some of the guys now.
He emphasized that overcoming professional obstacles and maintaining self-belief kept him grounded while striving for improvement. A lot of times it was me against my own mind and I had to come through it, I had to show self-belief, determination, i had to bide my time and work hard. I think that grounded me even when I did make it at the highest level to keep improving and keep getting better.
His achievement is particularly notable as he earned the award without lifting a major trophy last season, having reached the semi-finals of both the World Cup and the Champions League. Sport looks at why Kane won it and how unusual it is to do so without securing one of those major trophies.
Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid finished in second place, while Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal completed the top three. England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed his delight at the result, describing the win as a huge honor for the striker. Prince William also praised the Three Lions captain, calling him a remarkable player and a brilliant leader. To commemorate the milestone, the Wembley Stadium arches were illuminated in gold on Monday night.
