Sports · 2026-10-27 · Afternoon briefing
Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or, ending German football's long wait
Harry Kane, the Bayern Munich striker, has won football's most prestigious individual prize, the Ballon d'Or. At a one-off ceremony in his native London, the 33-year-old was awarded the 2026 trophy, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappe and the 16-year-old Spanish forward Lamine Yamal, who recently won the Euros.
The victory ends a significant drought for German football. Kane is the first Bayern player to receive the honour since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981, and the first from any Bundesliga club since Borussia Dortmund's Matthias Sammer in 1996. His case was built on a formidable season in which he scored 73 goals for club and country; he has already scored 156 goals in 159 games for the German champions.
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- Harry Kane Wins 2026 Ballon d'Or, Ends England's 25-Year Wait For Football's Biggest Honour
- Ballon d’Or 2026 LIVE RESULTS: Harry Kane WINS prestigious award ahead of Mbappe & Yamal to become fifth English winner
- How Kane's Ballon d'Or win could boost the Bundesliga
- Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or 2026 award, ends England's 25-year long wait
- Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or win: By the numbers
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