England's Harry Kane has been named the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner. The award ceremony was held in London on the 26th, and Kane was awarded the award for the first time in recognition of his work with Bayern Munich and his contribution on the international stage.
Last season, Kane made 51 appearances in all competitions for Bayern, scoring 61 goals. In the Bundesliga, he scored 36 goals in 31 games and was the top scorer for three consecutive years. He played in six games in the DFB Pokal, scoring 10 goals, and played a major role in helping Bayern win the title for the first time in six seasons.
Kane also played an important role on the international stage. As captain of the England national team, he participated in the FIFA World Cup 2026, which was co-hosted by three North and Central American countries, and scored six goals in seven games. In particular, he scored in every match except for the match against France in the third place deciding match, and was the driving force behind England's third place finish.
During the period covered by the award, Kane made 65 appearances for Bayern and England, scoring 73 goals. He is the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or in 25 years, since Michael Owen in 2001, and the fifth player from his country to win the award.
In addition to Kane, other nominees at the ceremony included Ramin Yamal of Barcelona, Rodri of Manchester City and Barcelona, Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid, and Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain. The final ranking was decided with Kane in 1st place, Mbappe in 2nd place and Yamal in 3rd place, with Kane beating out many great players to win the award for the first time.
Kane will continue to play for Bayern, and is expected to perform well in club matches and international tournaments next year. His scoring ability and leadership will see him continue to play an important role for both club and country.