Kane ends England's 25-year Ballon d'Or wait

Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Englishman to win football's most prestigious individual trophy in 25 years.

The England and Bayern Munich striker was crowned the best men's footballing talent in the world at a ceremony in London after scoring 73 goals across the 2025/26 season.

Alexia Putellas, the London City Lionesses and Spain player, was named as the women's Ballon d'Or winner at the ceremony on Monday.

Kane, who had never finished higher than 10th in the Ballon d'Or previously, beat Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to the prize, voted by an international panel of football journalists managed by France Football.

He becomes the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.