Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Harry Kane, striker for Bayern Munich and the England national team, has won the Ballon d’Or for the 2025/26 season. The France Football award ceremony took place in London on 27 October.
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, Barcelona striker Lamine Yamal, the Catalan club’s midfielder Rodri and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi also finished among the top five in the voting. Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of French club Paris Saint-Germain placed sixth.
During the past season, Kane scored 61 goals and provided seven assists in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich. He helped the club win the German championship and the domestic cup. The Englishman also finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer and won the European Golden Shoe as the leading goalscorer across domestic leagues in UEFA member countries.
With England, Kane won bronze medals at the World Cup, scoring six goals and providing one assist in seven matches. He also became England’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup, with 13 goals, and entered the tournament’s all-time top five goalscorers.
Kane became the fourth Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d’Or. Previous winners from the club were Gerd Müller in 1970, Franz Beckenbauer in 1972 and 1976, and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1980 and 1981.
Other English players who have won the Ballon d’Or include Stanley Matthews in 1956, Bobby Charlton in 1966, Kevin Keegan in 1978 and 1979, and Michael Owen in 2001.
The award has been presented since 1956. Initially, only European footballers playing for European clubs were eligible. The rules changed in 1995 to allow players of any nationality who played for European clubs to compete. Liberia’s George Weah became the first winner under the revised rules. Since 2007, players have been eligible regardless of the country in which their clubs are based.
The 2026 ceremony was the first to be held outside Paris.
