Harry Kane has become the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, collecting football’s most prestigious individual award in London.
The Bayern Munich striker finished ahead of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal after a season in which he scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country. He also also received the award for the best men’s striker.
What is slightly unusual is that he won it a year with a major tournament without playing for the winning side. England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup but were then beaten by Argentina.
He did however, score six goals in the tournament and the country finished third – their best performance at a World Cup since 1966.
His case rested principally on the sheer volume of goals he scored. He found the net 61 times in 51 appearances for Bayern, including 36 in the Bundesliga, where he was the leading scorer for the third successive season. He also scored 14 times in the Champions League and ten in the German Cup, including a hat-trick in the final against Stuttgart.
Bayern retained the Bundesliga title and won the German Cup and Supercup.
However, it is not just the goals he scores that makes him standout. Whilst with Bayern, he has also developed as a playmaker, often dropping deep to receive the ball and create chances for other.
At 33, Kane is older than many previous winners.
But for a player who spent much of his career facing questions about his lack of trophies, he may believe that the recognition is long overdue.
. Kane left Tottenham for Bayern in 2023 without a major team honour, despite becoming both Spurs’ and England’s record goalscorer. He now has German titles and the individual award that places him alongside the game’s most celebrated players.
