World Cup double and hat-trick heroics: The three Harry Kane performances which won the 2026 Ballon d'Or

Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or after scoring 73 goals for Bayern Munich and England, becoming the first Englishman to claim the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

Harry Kane has been crowned the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner, the first Englishman to win football's top individual honour in 25 years. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich and England captain enjoyed a prolific campaign, netting 73 goals in all competitions across club and country.

Kane beat Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi to the award at a ceremony at the London Palladium. He led England to the World Cup semi-finals and won a domestic double with Bayern, becoming just the fifth Englishman ever to win the Ballon d'Or after Michael Owen (2001), Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Stanley Matthews.

Among his standout performances were a World Cup double against DR Congo that secured England's last-16 qualification, a goal in Bayern's thrilling 5-4 Champions League semi-final first-leg defeat to PSG in Paris, and a hat-trick in the DFB Pokal final victory over Stuttgart. Kane scored in all six rounds of the cup competition and became the first English player to score in six consecutive Champions League matches.