Harry Kane has described winning the Ballon d’Or as an “incredible feeling” after beating Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to the 2026 award.

The Bayern Munich striker becomes the first Englishman to claim football’s coveted individual honour since Michael Owen in 2001, ending a 25-year wait for another English winner.

Kane finished first in the voting following a prolific campaign in which he scored 73 goals in all competitions for club and country. France and Real Madrid forward Mbappé placed second, with Yamal completing the top three.

The award crowns a remarkable scoring year for Kane, whose contributions extended beyond his club performances to England’s run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The striker helped the Three Lions secure third place at the tournament, adding a significant international achievement to a season defined by his output in front of goal.

His combined tally for Bayern and England provided the foundation for a successful challenge against two of the game’s most prominent attacking talents.

For Kane, the result delivers individual recognition on the biggest stage, with his description of the moment as an incredible feeling capturing the significance of the achievement.

It also gives English football a new Ballon d’Or winner a quarter of a century after Owen’s success, bringing an end to one of the country’s longest waits for the prize.

Mbappé and Yamal were left behind in the final standings as Kane’s extraordinary scoring return helped distinguish his campaign from those of his closest challengers.

The England forward’s victory brings together the two defining strands of his year: sustained goalscoring for Bayern and a leading role in his country’s World Cup campaign.

With 73 goals across those commitments, Kane has turned an exceptional season into the most prestigious individual accolade of his career, securing his place among English football’s Ballon d’Or winners.