Kane takes football’s top prize in London
Harry Kane Ballon d'Or winner status is now official: the England captain collected the award on Monday in London after a season that mixed club silverware with relentless scoring. Voters chose him ahead of rivals who also shone at the World Cup, ending a long wait for an English recipient of the famous golden ball.
Kane, 33, reacted on stage with a brief “Wow, wow, wow!” and said he was nearly lost for words. Hosting the night in London, he added, felt especially meaningful. He thanked those who backed him, noted how hard the ballot must have been, and congratulated fellow winners and nominees for the resolve and effort on display.
How the Bayern season settled the race
A 2023 switch to Bayern Munich finally delivered the club trophies that had stayed out of reach earlier in his career. In 2025-26 he paired that team success with output that put him clear among Ballon d’Or contenders: 61 goals in 51 appearances for the Bavarians as they secured both the domestic league and the cup.
Across club and international duty he finished with 73 goals, a haul seldom matched in recent seasons. He also topped Europe’s scoring charts by the campaign’s end, turning league and cup nights into a steady display of finishing.
With England again chasing a first major title in decades, Kane remained the side’s main reference point. He struck six times at the World Cup and steered the Three Lions into the last four, blending sharp shooting with the calm leadership that has marked his international years.
Putellas’s third women’s crown
Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas collected the Ballon d’Or Féminin again, her third such honour. She did so after Barcelona’s 2025-26 treble plus the Spanish Super Cup, then left the Catalan club in July following 14 years there to join Women’s Super League outfit London City Lionesses.
Why voters picked Kane over flashier campaigns
The field was crowded. Kylian Mbappé set fresh World Cup scoring marks, and Lamine Yamal helped Spain lift the trophy. Electors still settled on Kane for excellence sustained across the full season rather than for spectacle alone.
His path underlines that point. Loaned out repeatedly as a Tottenham teenager before becoming a complete centre forward—finisher and creator—he is already England’s record goalscorer and their top World Cup marksman. Adding a Harry Kane Ballon d'Or winner line to that résumé crowns years of steady, decisive contribution more than any single highlight reel.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 2001: Michael Owen becomes the last Englishman before Kane to win the Ballon d’Or.
- 2023: Kane joins Bayern Munich and begins collecting the club titles that had eluded him.
- 2025-26: Bayern complete a league-and-cup double; Kane scores 61 in 51 club matches and 73 for club and country; England reach a World Cup semi-final with six goals from their captain; Putellas wins a treble and Super Cup with Barcelona.
- July (after that Barça spell): Putellas moves to London City Lionesses after 14 years at Barcelona.
- Monday (award night, London): Kane receives the men’s Ballon d’Or; Putellas takes the women’s prize for a third time.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Harry Kane ko Ballon d’Or mil gaya hai — yeh football ka sab se bada individual award hai. Woh pehle English player hain jo 2001 ke baad yeh jeete hain. Alexia Putellas ne women ka award teesri dafa jeeta. Pakistan ke fans ke liye yeh bas yeh matlab hai ke season ke behtareen players ab clear hain.
