The Bayern Munich striker scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for the German club during the 2025-26 campaign, helping Bayern win domestic honours before adding the Ballon d’Or to his personal achievements. His total across club and country reached 73 goals and eight assists in 65 matches.
Kane, 33, is the fourth English player to win the men’s award, but the fifth English victory because Kevin Keegan claimed the trophy in consecutive years. Stanley Matthews was the inaugural recipient in 1956, Bobby Charlton won in 1966, Keegan triumphed in 1978 and 1979, and Michael Owen was the last English winner before Kane, in 2001.
The award was presented at the London Palladium on Monday, with Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé finishing second and Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal completing the top three, according to Reuters.
“I am almost speechless. Being here in London has made it extra special,” Kane said.
“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.”
Kane’s victory is a landmark for Bayern, too. He is the club’s first Ballon d’Or winner since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who received the award in 1980 and 1981. It also places him among a small group of British winners: Scotland’s Denis Law won in 1964, while Northern Ireland’s George Best was honoured in 1968.
The England captain’s season was defined by his extraordinary scoring return, although he did not lift either the Champions League or the World Cup. Bayern’s European campaign ended in the semi-finals, while England also fell short at the same stage of the World Cup. Bayern did secure domestic honours, including the Bundesliga and German Cup, meaning Kane’s campaign was not without team success.
Kane’s goalscoring record was nevertheless difficult to match. Only Lionel Messi, who scored 73 goals for Barcelona in 2011-12, has recorded a higher single-season total for a club in one of Europe’s five leading leagues.
The award also adds to Kane’s standing as one of England’s most decorated modern forwards. He had already become his country’s leading goalscorer, and his move to Bayern in 2023 gave him the opportunity to pursue major club trophies while maintaining his international output. The ceremony also recognised Yamal among the leading young talents in the game. But the headline award belonged to Kane, whose consistent output for Bayern and England earned him football’s most prominent individual honour.