Ballon d’Or: How Kane won without World Cup, Champions League

Bayern Munich forward and England Captain, Harry Kane Photo: GETTY IMAGES

England captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, was announced as the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner on Monday.

He saw off stiff competition from second-placed Kylian Mbappe (France, Real Madrid) and the three-time winner of the Men’s Young Talent of the Year, Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona).

Kane, 33, also emerged as the first English player to win the coveted individual football award in 25 years, since Michael Owen won it in 2001.

The Ballon d’Or has been won by three Englishmen: Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979), alongside Scottish winner Denis Law (1964) and Northern Irish winner George Best (1968).

The ceremony took place at the London Palladium to mark the award’s 70th anniversary.

The award was presented by Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazário.

While receiving the award, Kane said, “I am almost speechless. Being here in London has made it extra special.

“Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I can imagine it was tough this year.

“[There are] some world-class players in the room tonight. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees tonight. [It is] an impressive showing of determination and what hard work can really achieve.”

According to BBC Sport late Monday, Kane scored 61 goals in 51 club matches last season, the most a Bayern player has ever scored in one campaign. Including England matches, it was 73 goals – plus eight assists – in 65 matches.

He also became the first Bayern player to win the Ballon d’Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.

His side suffered a 6-5 aggregate defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s Champions League.

England also lost 2–1 to Argentina in their World Cup semi-final.

Yet, for a player who was placed 10th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or ranking, Kane has now been crowned the latest Ballon d’Or winner without winning either of football’s biggest prizes last season — the Champions League and World Cup.

This is only the fifth time in the past 20 years that the Ballon d’Or has not gone to a player who has won either the World Cup, the Champions League or a European Championship/Copa America – with Kane joining Messi (three times in 2010, 2012 & 2019) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2013), according to the report.

The England international, who spent over a decade at Tottenham since making his senior debut in 2011, before his transfer to Bayern in 2023, won two Bundesliga titles, two Super Cups and one DFB Pokal.

Kane hit a record-breaking form last season.

His 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern were 19 more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues managed.

“It was the most anyone has recorded since Cristiano Ronaldo also notched 61 for Real Madrid 11 years ago,” the report said.

Kane also emerged as the top scorer in the German domestic league with 36 goals – 17 clear of anyone else.

In the Champions League, he scored 14 goals, while he registered 10 goals in the German Cup.

The report added that “no player has ever scored so many goals in a season for Bayern, a club that has had legendary goalscorers like Gerd Muller, Rummenigge and more recently Robert Lewandowski in their ranks.

“Kane’s 12 goals for England last season – including six at the World Cup – take him up to a total of 73.

“Only one player in history from Europe’s top leagues has scored more in a season: Lionel Messi’s 82 for Barcelona and Argentina in 2011-12.”

Next on the list are Muller (72 in 1972-73), Cristiano Ronaldo (66 in both 2011-12 and 2014-15), former Brazil striker Ronaldo (66 in 1996-97), Erling Haaland (64 in 2022-23) and Luis Suarez (64 in 2015-16), the report added.

Commenting on the Three Lions’ captain’s achievement, England manager Thomas Tuchel said, “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.”