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Harry Kane wins Ballon d’Or, becomes first Englishman to claim award since 2001
The 33-year-old beat Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, who finished runner-up, and World Cup winner Lamine Yamal, who came third, to claim the prestigious prize.
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Harry Kane on Tuesday became the first English footballer since Michael Owen in 2001 to win the men’s Ballon d’Or, capping a remarkable season for the Bayern Munich and England forward.
The 33-year-old beat Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, who finished runner-up, and World Cup winner Lamine Yamal, who came third, to claim the prestigious prize.
Kane, who also won the Men’s Striker of the Year award, became the first Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d’Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who claimed the honour in consecutive years in 1980 and 1981. He is also the fifth Englishman to win the award after Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen.
He scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country last season as Bayern completed a domestic double, winning the Bundesliga and German Cup. Kane also scored a hat-trick against Stuttgart in the cup final as Bayern added the German Super Cup to their trophy haul.
At the World Cup, Kane scored six goals to surpass Gary Lineker as England’s all-time leading scorer at the tournament and move into the top five on the all-time list. England finished third after losing to Argentina in the semifinals.
Lionel Messi, who finished fifth in the Ballon d’Or race, remains the only player to have scored more goals in a single season, having netted 82 times during the 2011-12 campaign.
In an emotional speech at the London Palladium, which hosted the Ballon d’Or ceremony for the first time, Kane thanked those who had helped him throughout his career. The venue was chosen to mark the 70th anniversary of the award’s inaugural winner, England’s Stanley Matthews, in 1956.
Kane ended his speech with a heartfelt message for his family.
“My wife Kate, my best friend. You’re my biggest supporter. We have done it,” he said. “You always want the best for me. You sacrifice yourself to help me achieve my dreams. It wouldn’t be possible without you.”
Of his 73 goals last season, 36 came in the Bundesliga, where Bayern suffered just one defeat and finished 16 points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Kane also scored 14 goals in 13 Champions League appearances, although Bayern suffered a narrow semifinal exit against eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Putellas hat trick of awards
Earlier, Spain star Alexia Putellas won her third women’s Ballon d’Or after leading her former club Barcelona to multiple trophies last season including the Women’s Champions League.
Putellas, who joined London City Lionesses in the offseason, also helped Spain win the Women’s Nations League last December.
The 32-year-old midfielder ended Spain teammate Aitana Bonmati’s three-year reign.
Putellas won the prestigious award in back-to-back seasons — 2021 and ‘22 — before tearing her ACL and seeing Bonmati rise to stardom. Bonmati, who completed her women’s Ballon d’Or three-peat in 2025, was not on this year’s shortlist after breaking her leg in December.
