By Samuel Olusegun Precious
England captain Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first Englishman in 25 years to win football’s most prestigious individual award.
Kane was crowned at the 70th edition of the ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre on Monday night, beating Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal.
Historic Night In London
The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker enjoyed a record-breaking 2025/26 season, scoring 61 goals in 51 appearances as Bayern won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, and 12 goals for England including six at the FIFA World Cup where England finished third.
He also won the Gerd Muller Trophy for Best Striker of the Year on the same night. An emotional Kane said on stage:”Wow, I’m almost speechless. First of all, thanks again to France Football and the Ballon d’Or for this amazing event. Being in London, it is extra special; it felt like a good omen. Thank you to everyone for voting for me. I can imagine it was very tough.”
Kane becomes only the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or after Sir Stanley Matthews (1956), Sir Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979) and Michael Owen (2001).
Reactions Trail Victory
Mixed Feelings On X. While many fans hailed Kane as “the most deserved winner ever,” others argued Lamine Yamal deserved it after winning the World Cup with Spain. One X user wrote: “If scoring goals could win the Ballon d’Or, Haaland was supposed to be 2023 winner. If winning the World Cup is enough, why not someone who won the World Cup?”
Mbappe Gracious, Yamal Dejected
Videos showed Mbappe applauding and hugging Kane when the result was announced. Yamal was visibly disappointed, sitting with head down.Yamal’s uncle, Abdul, later slammed the decision: “My nephew is excellent. He is the best player in the world. Everyone knows that. If you love football, you will go to the stadium to watch Lamine Yamal, not Harry Kane.”
Closest Vote In Years
France Football chief Vincent Garcia revealed the 2026 vote was the tightest in a long time, closer than Rodri vs Vinicius in 2024. Kane edged Mbappe by a narrow margin.
England Celebrates
Declan Rice: “For me, Harry is the clear winner.”Bayern Munich posted: “Our striker is the world’s best.”In the women’s category, Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas won her third Ballon d’Or Feminin.
Full ranking to be released today.
