With 61 goals in 51 games, Harry Kane has become the first Englishman in 25 years to win the Ballon d'Or, claiming the 2026 award at the ceremony in London. The Bayern Munich striker finished ahead of Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe. "What a fantastic achievement and so deserved," Prince William posted on social media. "To become the first Englishman to win this huge honour in 25 years makes it extra special," added England head coach Thomas Tuchel. Tottenham Hotspur hailed their former academy graduate's triumph as part of the club's historic legacy. Kane is only the fifth Englishman ever to win the award, after Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen.
Not everyone was convinced. "It's quite a coincidence that they're bringing the 70th anniversary Ballon d'Or to London and that someone from London wins it," said former Real Madrid star Guti, openly questioning the result. He added that Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe were more deserving of the honour. "He's never been the player who carried his team somewhere or made his team win in the very big matches," Samir Nasri said, striking a similar note. France Football editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia, meanwhile, revealed that the voting gap between Kane and Mbappe was narrower than the 41 points that separated Rodri and Vinicius Jr. in 2024.
