Kane's 73 goals earn him the Ballon d'Or, a 25-year first for England
The Bayern Munich striker outpolled Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to claim the award, capping a campaign that included a World Cup third-place finish.
By Julia Novak ·
Harry Kane accepted the Ballon d'Or trophy in London on Monday, becoming the first English player to win the individual honor since Michael Owen in 2001. The 33-year-old striker claimed the award after finishing the previous season as Europe's top scorer with 73 goals for club and country.
Kane's award-winning campaign included a Bundesliga and German Cup double with Bayern Munich, where he scored a hat trick in the cup final against Stuttgart. The club also reached the Champions League semifinals. At the FIFA World Cup, Kane scored six goals, surpassing Gary Lineker to become England's all-time leading scorer in tournament history.
Under his captaincy, England finished third in the World Cup, defeating France in the placement match. That result marked England's best World Cup placing in 60 years. Kane acknowledged the weight of the achievement, noting that the ceremony was held in London for the first time to mark the 70th anniversary of the award, which England's Stanley Matthews won in 1956.
In his acceptance speech, Kane credited resilience and self-belief for his journey. He described his path as not straightforward, emphasizing that he had to fight through early career struggles to reach the top. "I had to experience the downs," Kane said. "I had to fight my way to be the very best right now."
The voting placed Kane ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, who was named the best young talent for the third consecutive year. Rodri, the 2024 winner, and Lionel Messi, who holds the record with eight titles, also appeared on the list. Kane thanked his wife Kate, calling her his best friend and biggest supporter, and his children, joking that it was past their bedtime.
England manager Thomas Tuchel praised Kane's leadership. "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 recognized by the football world," Tuchel said. Fans gathered outside the London Palladium, climbing light poles to watch the athletes arrive and chanting Kane's name as he left the venue near Oxford Circus after midnight.
Kane planned a modest celebration with family and friends before returning to Munich for team training. He noted that Bayern has a cup match scheduled for Wednesday, so the festivities would remain controlled. The ceremony also recognized Alexia Putellas, who won her third women's Ballon d'Or after leading Barcelona to the Women's Champions League title.
Putellas, a midfielder for London City Lionesses, ended the three-year winning streak of Aitana Bonmatí. Bonmatí was not on this year's shortlist due to a leg injury sustained in December. Putellas won the award in 2021 and 2022 before suffering an ACL tear, which allowed Bonmatí to take over the title.
