Harry Kane becomes fifth Englishman to win Ballon d'Or

Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane has been awarded the Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career. Following the voting results for 2026, the 33-year-old Englishman has made history as the fifth player from his country to secure the prestigious individual trophy.

Kane's achievement is particularly significant as it ends a 25-year drought for English players. The last Englishman to win the award before Kane was Michael Owen, who claimed the prize in 2001.

The Bayern Munich striker now joins an elite list of English recipients. Stanley Matthews was the first to win in 1956, followed by Bobby Charlton in 1966, and Kevin Keegan, who won back-to-back awards in 1978 and 1979.