England captain becomes first English winner in 25 years, with Premier League stars featuring prominently among the world’s best.
England captain Harry Kane has been crowned the world’s best footballer after winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in London’s Palladium.
The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker becomes the first Englishman to lift the prestigious award since Michael Owen in 2001, ending a 25-year wait for English football.
Kane’s remarkable season saw him score 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich, helping the German giants secure a domestic league and cup double. Across club and international football, he scored an astonishing 73 goals, including six during England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals.
He finished ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé in second place and Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal in third.
Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri finished fourth, while eight-time winner Lionel Messi completed the top five.
British and Premier League Stars Among the World’s Best
Kane wasn’t the only English player celebrating recognition.
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham finished 11th, while Arsenal’s Declan Rice secured 15th place following the Gunners’ Premier League title-winning campaign.
Manchester City’s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland was the highest-placed current Premier League player, finishing eighth.
Arsenal also saw Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhães and French international William Saliba recognised, while Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes finished 27th.
The full list of British players and players representing English clubs during the award’s qualifying period is:
| Position | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Harry Kane 🏴 | Bayern Munich |
| 4th | Rodri | Manchester City / Barcelona |
| 8th | Erling Haaland | Manchester City |
| 11th | Jude Bellingham 🏴 | Real Madrid |
| 15th | Declan Rice 🏴 | Arsenal |
| 18th | Marc Cucurella | Chelsea / Real Madrid |
| 21st | Gabriel Magalhães | Arsenal |
| 27th | Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United |
| 29th = | William Saliba | Arsenal |
🏴 English international. Club affiliations reflect the 2025–26 award period, including players who subsequently moved abroad.
Former Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, now representing Bayern Munich and France, also secured an impressive ninth-place finish.
A Night to Remember
Kane’s triumph was accompanied by further English recognition, with Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka receiving the Socrates Award for his humanitarian work.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Alexia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or for a third time, having joined London City Lionesses following another trophy-laden campaign with Barcelona.
For Kane, however, the night marked the crowning achievement of an extraordinary career.
After years of individual brilliance, near misses and questions over his lack of silverware during his Tottenham career, the England captain now possesses football’s most prestigious individual honour.
Twenty-five years after Michael Owen brought the Ballon d’Or home, Harry Kane has finally done it again.
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