Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first English player to win the trophy for 25 years
The Bayern Munich, England and former Tottenham striker looked surprised and emotional as he collected the prize at the ceremony in London
Kane scored 73 goals for club and country last season; his 61 goals in 51 club games was the most a Bayern player has scored in a campaign
He said: 'I had to bide my time and work hard, 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.'
Prince William congratulated Kane on the honour saying he was a 'brilliant captain' and 'remarkable player' while England boss Thomas Tuchel said he was 'delighted'
Kane pipped Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the trophy, who finished second and third respectively
Thierry Henry
Former France forward on DAZN
I would always back my fellow Frenchmen but I have to say something about Harry Kane. I have seen him since the beginning. He had to suffer really hard to achieve what he has achieved. A worthy winner, well done.
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Well done, Harry Kane! Fully deserved. Not only for his performances and stats, but also for the way he conducts himself and sets an example to team-mates and young players hoping to emulate him. I hope he wins a major trophy with England now to round it off.
Ian, Lincoln
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England
England boss Thomas Tuchel praised Harry Kane after his win: "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.
"To become the first Englishman to win this huge honour in 25 years makes it extra special and we are lucky to have you as our leader.
"I know you will enjoy this moment with your loved ones and then get back to doing what you do best - scoring goals and winning football matches."
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Scotsman here, but just have to hold your hands up. Kane is simply the complete player and finest British footballer of our era. Consistency, the goals, the vision. We're lucky to get to watch a footballer like that at the absolute top of the game.
Barry, Dundee
Harry Kane became the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001.
The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker is the fifth Englishman to win in total, with Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966) and Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979) the others.
Denis Law of Scotland (1964) and Northern Ireland's George Best (1968) are the other winners from the United Kingdom.
Image source, Getty ImagesIf you're basing it on purely statistics alone in 2025-26, there really was no arguing Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or win.
The Bayern Munich forward scored 61 goals in 51 appearances, helping the German giants to their 35th Bundesliga title along with the German Cup.
It was the most a Bayern player has ever scored in a campaign.
His nearest competitor in terms of goals scored was Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, who netted 42 goals in 2025-26 for the La Liga side.
In the 21st century, only two players have scored 61 or more goals in Europe’s top five divisions. As well as Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo hit 61 goals in the 2014-15 campaign, while Lionel Messi holds the record with a total of 73 goals in the 2011-12 season.
Kane scored 73 goals for club and country last season.
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There is lots for you to be having your say on this morning with regard to Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or win but one of the big questions we want answering is, does this win cement him as England's greatest ever player?
The Bayern Munich forward has already taken his spot atop of the all-time scoring charts for the Three Lions and now with a Ballon d'Or to boot, can you really argue otherwise?
Does he still need to win a trophy with England to make his way into that conversation?
Let us know your thoughts on that and anything else surrounding last night's Ballon d'Or by clicking that 'Get Involved' button.
Image source, Getty ImagesSome more words from Harry Kane, who spoke to DAZN after collecting his trophy: "Not many people would have thought it, and maybe even I wouldn't have thought I'd be this far.
"I had to go through many ups and downs, especially early in my career. I was never the person that people thought was going to be the superstar like some of the guys now.
"I had to bide my time and work hard, 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 think that grounded me even when I did make it at the highest level to keep improving and keep getting better."
Image source, Getty ImagesMen's Ballon d'Or winner - Harry Kane
Women's Ballon d'Or winner - Alexia Putellas
Men's striker of the year - Harry Kane
Women's striker of the year - Charlyn Corral
Men's club of the year - Paris St-Germain
Women's club of the year - Barcelona
Socrates Award winner - Bukayo Saka
Men's goalkeeper of the year - Unai Simon
Women's goalkeeper of the year - Cata Coll
Men's coach of the year - Luis de la Fuente
Women's coach of the year - Pere Romeu
Women's young talent of the year winner - Vicky Lopez
Men's young talent of the year winner - Lamine Yamal
Image source, Getty ImagesHarry Kane's first words after being named the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or winner:
"Wow, wow, wow!
"I am almost speechless. Being here in London has made it extra special.
"Made it a good omen for me tonight. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I can imagine it was tough this year.
"Some world-class players in the room tonight. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees tonight."
Prince William praised Harry Kane for being a "brilliant captain and remarkable player".
He said: "Huge congratulations to Harry Kane on winning the Ballon d'Or! What a fantastic achievement and so deserved.
"A brilliant captain, a remarkable player and someone who has given football fans across the world so many unforgettable moments."
Image source, Getty ImagesSo, England captain Harry Kane saw off both Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal for the award on Monday evening but who else was in contention?
Here's how the top 10 finished up, and what a top 10 it was.
1: Harry Kane
2: Kylian Mbappe
3: Lamine Yamal
4: Rodri
5: Lionel Messi
6: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
7: Ousmane Dembele
8: Erling Haaland
9: Michael Olise
10: Fabian Ruiz
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