Arise, Sir Harry? Downing Street hints at Kane knighthood after Ballon d'Or win

Kane won the Ballon d'Or on Monday night, becoming the first Englishman to claim the award in 25 years; Downing Street has hinted he may deserve a knighthood.

Harry Kane won the men's Ballon d'Or at a ceremony at the London Palladium on Monday night, beating Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to become the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

Downing Street praised the Bayern Munich player's "extraordinary achievement", with the Prime Minister's spokesperson saying: "To be the first Englishman to win it in 25 years is an extraordinary achievement, and what a moment to do it here at home." When asked if Kane deserved a knighthood, the spokesperson said: "I think everyone would agree, Harry Kane has given an enormous amount to English football, and this is a very special moment for him and the country, but, as ever, I'm not going to pre-empt the honours process."

Kane is the fifth English player to win the Ballon d'Or, joining Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen. He holds an MBE from England's 2018 World Cup semi-final run. Players are typically not awarded knighthoods until after retirement; recent recipients include David Beckham and Gareth Southgate.