Harry Kane is the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner, and the first Englishman to take the prize since Michael Owen in 2001, according to Sky Sports.

The Bayern Munich striker collected the award at a ceremony in London on Monday night. France Football handed him the trophy after a season in which he scored 73 goals for club and country. Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe finished second and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal third.

Kane joins Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen on the short list of English winners. He is also the first Bayern player to win it in 45 years.

The England captain struggled for words on stage. He thanked France Football, England, Bayern and his old club Tottenham, and said holding the event in London felt like a good sign. He spoke about his own path, which included several loan spells before he reached the top, and told young players that a dream is within reach even when the route is not smooth.

The build-up to the night was messy. Hours before the ceremony, the Ballon d'Or website carried three separate articles, each naming a different winner: Kane, Yamal and Mbappe. All three were removed after the mix-up spread online. The ceremony then started 45 minutes late, at 8.45pm, because of London traffic.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said England had far too few Ballon d'Or winners and called Kane's career an outstanding one. He believes the move from Tottenham to Bayern made the difference. "There's no way Harry Kane could've won the Ballon d'Or if he was playing for Tottenham," Carragher said. He also tipped Jude Bellingham to win the award one day.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel praised his captain, saying he had run out of words for Kane's performances long ago and was glad the football world had now recognised them. Prince William, patron of the Football Association, called it a fantastic and deserved achievement on Instagram.

Top 10 in the men's vote

1. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
2. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, France)
3. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
4. Rodri (Man City/Barcelona, Spain)
5. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG, Georgia)
7. Ousmane Dembele (PSG, France)
8. Erling Haaland (Man City, Norway)
9. Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, France)
10. Fabian Ruiz (PSG, Spain)

Other 2026 winners

• Women's Ballon d'Or: Alexia Putellas (London City Lionesses/Barcelona, Spain)
• Men's Coach of the Year: Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
• Women's Coach of the Year: Pere Romeu (Barcelona)
• Men's Young Talent: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
• Women's Young Talent: Vicky Lopez (Barcelona, Spain)
• Men's Striker: Harry Kane
• Women's Striker: Charlyn Corral (CF Pachuca, Mexico)
• Men's Goalkeeper: Unai Simon (Athletic Club, Spain)
• Women's Goalkeeper: Cata Coll (Barcelona, Spain)
• Men's Club: Paris Saint-Germain
• Women's Club: Barcelona
• Socrates Award: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, England)

Source: Sky Sports