England captain and FC Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has been officially crowned the winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

He is the first English player to win this award since Michael Owen back in 2001.

The 33-year-old forward claimed football’s most prestigious individual award following a magnificent 2025/26 campaign.

He finished ahead of Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé (2nd) and FC Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal (3rd) in the final voting.

New Telegraph reports that the Bayern Munich forward produced his most prolific campaign, scoring 61 goals in 51 games for the German giants across all competitions as they completed a domestic league and cup double.

Also, the former Tottenham Hotspur captain remained in top form for the national team, leading the Three Lions to the World Cup semi-finals in their best performance at the quadrennial tournament since their 1966 triumph.

However, here are some things you need to know about the recently decorated Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane:

Harry Kane was born in London and worked hard to become a top footballer. At eight, he joined Arsenal’s youth team, but they let him go after just one year because they thought he was not fast or athletic enough.

He later joined Tottenham Hotspur, but he had to play on loan for several smaller teams like Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich, and Leicester before he finally got his big chance.

Kane signed for Bayern Munich in 2023, becoming the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history. In his debut season, he scored 36 league goals, winning the European Golden Shoe.

His first major trophy came in his second season with Bayern, when they won the 2024–25 Bundesliga title.

Through hard work, Kane grew into one of the best goalscorers in football history. He became Tottenham’s all-time top scorer with 280 goals and scored 213 goals in the English Premier League.

He is also the captain of the England national team and its all-time scorer with 91 goals. He captained England to a third-place finish and won the Gerd Müller Award as the top scorer.

Kane won the Ballon d’Or for his outstanding 2025/26 season. He scored 73 goals for his club and country in a single year.

He helped Bayern Munich win the German league and the German Cup, while also finishing as the top goalscorer in Europe and the Champions League.

Kane is the first Englishman to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or in 25 years, after former Manchester United and Liverpool striker Michael Owen won it in 2001.

Furthermore, he is the first Bayern Munich player to lift the Ballon d’Or since club icon Karl-Heinz Rummenigge did so 45 years prior in 1981.

Known to be a huge fan of the National Football League (NFL) in the United States, Kane has expressed interest in pursuing a career in American football in the past.

He said earlier in 2026 that he is considering a future as an NFL kicker later in his career.

But for now, the newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner remains in Germany, with Sky Sports reporting he has agreed to a new contract in principle that will see him stay with Bayern until 2029.

New Telegraph reports that the Ballon d’Or, “golden ball” in French, is an annual award presented by French magazine France Football.

It was initially awarded to players from Europe only, but was expanded to all active players at European clubs in 1995, when Liberia’s George Weah became the first non-European to win it.

It became a global prize in 2007, with Matthews as the award’s first recipient at 41.

He is the oldest player to have won the award. Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023 at 36.