Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or victory has sparked immense excitement not only at FC Bayern but also in his native England, where the 33-year-old is being celebrated. Now, the striker could even be in line for another extraordinary honor. Several former soccer stars are calling for Kane to be knighted for his contributions to English soccer.

On Monday evening, Kane was awarded the Ballon d’Or for the first time in London. The Bayern star prevailed over Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, ending a long drought. No English soccer player had won the prestigious Golden Ball since Michael Owen in 2001.

In England, this historic achievement has sparked a debate. As reported by the British tabloid The Sun, several prominent soccer figures are calling for Kane to be awarded the honorary title of “Sir” in the future.

England Legends Call for a Knighthood for Kane

TV analyst Chris Kamara took a particularly strong stance. The 68-year-old believes the time for such an honor has already come. “Kane just keeps getting better—like a fine wine. He’s going to be knighted anyway, so why not right now?” Kamara explained.

Gary Mabbutt, former captain of Tottenham Hotspur, also supports the call. “I can’t think of anyone who deserves a knighthood more than Harry Kane,” emphasized the 65-year-old.

Former England national team player Chris Waddle, who also played for Tottenham, expressed a similar view. “There are people who have been knighted who have achieved less than Harry Kane!” Waddle stated.

These calls highlight the status Kane now enjoys in his home country. The Bayern Munich pro is not only captain of the English national team but has also been one of international soccer’s most successful goal scorers for years.

Even the British government has weighed in

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The discussion about a possible knighthood has now reached the British political arena as well. When asked, a government spokeswoman from Downing Street stated: “I think everyone would agree that Harry Kane has contributed enormously to English soccer. This is a very special moment for him and for the country.”

However, she did not want to make a concrete commitment. “But as always, I won’t preempt the honors process,” the spokeswoman added.

In fact, a knighthood during Kane’s active career would be a rarity. To date, only one English soccer player—Sir Stanley Matthews—has been knighted while still an active player.

David Beckham also had to wait a long time for this honor. The former national team captain was not knighted until November 2025—twelve years after retiring from the game.

Whether Kane might soon follow in his footsteps remains to be seen. No official decision has been made yet.

Should the Bayern star indeed be knighted, he would likely bear the title “Sir Harry Kane” in the future.

After winning the Ballon d’Or, it would be the next historic accolade for the Englishman—and another special moment for FC Bayern.

This article was translated into English by AI. You can read the original version here https://fcbinside.de/2026/10/28/nach-ballon-dor-triumph-wird-kane-jetzt-zum-ritter-geschlagen/.