The Bayern Munich striker became just the fifth English player in history to receive the award, 25 years after Michael Owen lifted it.

Kane scored 73 goals for club and country over the year, propelling Bayern Munich to a league and cup double in Germany, and England to the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals.

His award came after edging out Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona star Lamine Yamal with the latter retaining his LaLiga title at Barcelona and winning the World Cup with Spain.

Kane's success was met with some frustration in Spain, as the El Clasico pair were viewed as favourites to win it, and former Arsenal and Manchester City winger Samir Nasri echoed that point of Kane not quite doing enough.

"Harry Kane, winning the Ballon d’Or…okay, the statistics made the difference.

"He’s a fantastic player with many qualities. But he’s never been the player to carry his team somewhere, or make his team win in the very big matches. There’s often a slight weakness. But he’s an extraordinary player."