England captain Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d’Or at the London Palladium Theatre on Monday night (October 26), becoming the first English male footballer in 25 years to claim the sport’s most prestigious individual award.
Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário presented the trophy after opening the sealed envelope, as Kane edged out Spain’s Lamine Yamal and France’s Kylian Mbappé to secure the accolade.
The Bayern Munich striker was overcome with emotion upon taking the stage. “Wow, wow, wow,” Kane said in his acceptance speech. “I am almost speechless. Having this event in London makes the moment even more special for me. Tonight feels like a dream come true, and I want to thank everyone who voted for me.”
Kane acknowledged the stiff competition for this year’s award, extending his congratulations to fellow nominees and winners present at the ceremony. He noted that his trajectory proves that perseverance and relentless hard work pave the way to success.
The award comes on the back of an extraordinary 2025–26 season, during which Kane registered 73 goals across all competitions for club and country. Since joining Bayern Munich in 2023, the English forward has firmly established himself as the focal point of the German side’s attack, tallying 156 goals in 158 appearances.
In addition to finishing as the top scorer in the Bundesliga for three consecutive seasons, Kane ended the 2025–26 campaign as the top goalscorer across European club football.