Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or 2026, defeats Mbappe, Yamal to grab prized award

Ace Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is the official Ballon d’Or 2026 winner. The English football team’s skipper and the main man for the German champions edged past Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to win the prized award for the first time in his career. 

Many considered the 2026 Ballon d’Or one of the most open races in recent memory, with clubs not even knowing who the winner would be. Notably, Lamine Yamal won the men’s young player of the year award, whereas Harry Kane won the men’s striker of the year award and the Ballon d’Or as well. 

It is interesting to note that Kane was one of the best players in world football in the 2025-26 season, going to the Champions League semi-final with Bayern Munich and leading the club to another Bundesliga and DFB Pokal title. He also helped lead England to a third-place finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

After being named as the Ballon d’Or 2026 winner, Harry



Kane took centre stage and delivered an emotionally charged speech, where he thanked his teammates, his coaches, and his family for helping him reach the pinnacle of world football.

“I’m almost speechless. (Luckily) I have this list here. Thank you to France Football, to the Ballon d’Or for putting on this amazing event. Being here in London has made it extra special. It looked like a good omen for me tonight so thank you very much. Thank you to everyone who voted for me, I can imagine it was really tough this year, some of the incredible players I was up against, some of my team-mates, some world-class players in the room tonight,” Kane said.

“To my Bayern Munich teammates – I’ve got a few here tonight, Michael, Upa, Lucho, Lenny, without you guys and the rest of the team, it wouldn’t be possible. The way you guys push me, the way we compete, me against Upa in training every week, it just makes me a better player, it makes me want to improve. So thank you very much,” he added.