The Bayern Munich striker beats Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, after the award's website had named all three as winner hours before the ceremony.
Harry Kane has been crowned the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or, the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001. The Bayern Munich striker received the prize at the London Palladium on Monday, 26 October, at the 70th ceremony, finishing ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal. He is the fifth Englishman to win it.
England captain Kane scored 73 goals for club and country last season and led England to the World Cup semi-finals. For Bayern he scored 61 goals in 51 appearances, and the club won the domestic league and cup double.
The result had almost come out early. Hours before the ceremony, the official Ballon d'Or website published articles naming Kane, Yamal and Mbappé as the winner, and all three were taken down before Kane was confirmed. A spokesperson told BBC Sport: "Some profiles of nominees prepared by BallonDor.com were inadvertently published online." The pieces, they said, had been prepared for every nominee and should not be read as an indication of the final results.
Speaking onstage, Kane said: "Being in London, it is extra special, it felt like a good omen." He thanked the voters and his wife Kate, calling her his best friend.
Kane also spoke about the road to the top:
"I hope my journey, it wasn't straightforward, I didn't go straight to the top, I had to experience a lot of loan moves and fight my way to get to where I am now. I hope that can give you inspiration, and thank you very much."
Before he made it in the Premier League, Kane had loan spells at Leyton Orient and Millwall. Bayern paid a record 100m euro fee up front for him three years ago.
Lamine Yamal won the men's young player award, and said he would have liked it to go to his teammate Pau Cubarsi. "This prize should have been for him. He deserves it." Spain's Luis de la Fuente was named men's coach of the year, and Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simón won the goalkeeper prize.
Alexia Putellas won the women's award for a third time, and Bukayo Saka received the Sócrates Award for humanitarian work.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel led the reaction. "Congratulations Harry on a deserved Ballon d'Or!" said Tuchel.
In October, Kane equalled England's all-time caps record.
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