Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or as first Bayern Munich player since 1981
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Bundesliga player in decades to claim football's most prestigious individual award. The 33-year-old England captain received the honor in his hometown of London. Kane scored 61 goals for Bayern and 12 for England last season, including six at the World Cup, while winning the Bundesliga and German Cup. He beat Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, and Bayern teammates Luis Díaz, Michael Olise, and Dayot Upamecano in the journalists' vote. Kane is the first Bayern winner since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981 and the first English recipient since Michael Owen in 2001. Spain's Alexia Putellas won the women's award, while German international Klara Bühl finished 12th.