Video: Kane wins 2026 Ballon d’Or ahead of Mbappé, Yamal ends 25-year drought for England drought
Abdullateef Fowewe
Bayern Munich striker, Harry Kane has been crowned the winner of the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or, becoming the first English player to claim the award in 25 years.
Video: Kane wins 2026 Ballon d’Or ahead of Mbappé, Yamal ends 25-year drought for England drought
He finished ahead of Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé in second place and Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal in third.
Kane edged out a strong field after an outstanding 2025/26 campaign in which he scored 73 goals for club and country.
The England captain helped Bayern Munich retain the Bundesliga title as part of a domestic treble and finished as the league’s top scorer for the third consecutive season.
He also netted 14 goals in the UEFA Champions League as Bayern reached the semi-finals.
The 33-year-old is only the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, following Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979) and Michael Owen (2001).
The ceremony took place in London on Monday night.
The full top 10 reads:
1. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
2. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
3. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
4. Rodri (Manchester City/Barcelona)
5. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain)
7. Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain)
8. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
9. Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)
10. Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain)
Messi’s fifth-place finish, while playing in Major League Soccer, has drawn particular attention and may mark one of his final appearances in the rankings.
Bayern teammate Michael Olise’s ninth place also stood out after a strong debut season in Germany.
