The Bayern Munich and England captain beat Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe after a season of 73 goals for club and country.
Harry Kane took home the 2026 Ballon d'Or at a ceremony in London on Saturday, becoming the first Englishman to win football's top individual prize since Michael Owen in 2001. The 33-year-old beat out Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe for the award, capping a season in which he scored 73 goals in 65 matches for Bayern Munich and England.
Kane delivered an emotional acceptance speech at the London Palladium, thanking family, teammates and coaches past and present while holding back tears. It was a fitting coda to a year that saw him win the German league and cup double with Bayern, though his club's Champions League run ended in the semi-finals against eventual winners PSG.
On the international stage, Kane captained England to the World Cup semi-finals before the team suffered a loss there. The striker spent 19 years at Tottenham before his 2023 move to Bayern Munich, and this award marks the first Ballon d'Or of his career after years as one of the game's most prolific scorers.