Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or, England's first winner since Owen in 2001

📰 Harry Kane has beaten Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the 2026 Ballon d'Or. 📌 Key points 🏆 Kane received the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or in London on 26 October. 🥈 Real Madrid's Mbappe finished second and Barcelona's Yamal third. 🏴 He is England's first winner since Michael Owen in 2001. ⚽ Last season he scored 73 goals with 8 assists in 65 games for Bayern. 🔟 His previous best Ballon d'Or finish was 10th. 📝 What happened 🏆 Kane was named the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or winner at the ceremony in London on Monday 26 October. In a vote run by France Football and decided by an international panel of journalists, there was no clear favourite until the envelope was opened. Rodri was fourth and Lionel Messi fifth. 🎙️ In his speech Kane said he was 'almost speechless' and that receiving it in London made the night extra special. He called his wife Kate his biggest supporter and his children the reason he does this, and thanked his England and Bayern teammates as well as former club Tottenham. ⚽ The 33-year-old scored 73 goals and added 8 assists in 65 games for Bayern last season, winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup, plus the European Golden Shoe, the Bundesliga scoring title and German Footballer of the Year. Earlier the same day he also collected the Gerd Muller Trophy for the best striker. 🔴 According to Al Jazeera, he is the first Bayern player to win the award in 45 years and the first at a German club since 1996. His Bayern teammates formed a guard of honour for him before the DFB-Pokal tie with Magdeburg on 28 October. 📊 By the numbers • 2025-26 for Bayern: 65 games, 73 goals, 8 assists • First English winner since Owen in 2001, 25 years ago • Previous best Ballon d'Or finish: 10th • 2nd Mbappe, 3rd Yamal, 4th Rodri, 5th Messi 🔭 Why it matters Once mocked as the great striker without a trophy, Kane has now collected silverware and the game's top individual prize at Bayern. The news landed in a turbulent week after coach Vincent Kompany collapsed, giving the club a lift. Kane's first league game as Ballon d'Or winner is Der Klassiker at home to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday 31 October.