Harry Kane has made football history, becoming the first English player to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen claimed the award in 2001.

The Leytonstone-born striker was crowned the world’s best footballer at a ceremony in London on Monday, following a remarkable season for Bayern Munich and England.

East London’s Leytonstone is no stranger to producing footballing superstars, with David Beckham also hailing from the area. However, Kane has certainly proved he can bend it better than Beckham, having scored an astonishing 61 goals in just 51 club appearances last season, the highest tally ever recorded by a Bayern Munich player in a single campaign.

The England captain’s achievements didn’t stop there. Kane netted an incredible 73 goals in 65 appearances across club and international football during the 2025–26 season, earning him both the Ballon d’Or and Striker of the Year awards.

His performances also helped Bayern Munich secure a domestic double, lifting the Bundesliga title and German Cup, alongside the German Super Cup.

On the international stage, Kane captained England to a third-place finish at the World Cup, despite the Three Lions falling short of reaching the final.

Remarkably, Kane secured football’s most coveted individual honour without winning either the Champions League or World Cup, having suffered semi-final defeats in both competitions.

The 33-year-old also became the first Bayern Munich player to receive the award since German football legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.

Kane faced stiff competition for the honour, with Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé finishing second and Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal completing the top three.

The Ballon d’Or winner is determined by an international jury of 100 journalists, each representing a different country, who rank their ten best players of the season using a points-based voting system.

To celebrate the historic achievement, London’s iconic Wembley Stadium illuminated its famous arches in gold on Monday evening. From the streets of Leytonstone to the very top of world football, Harry Kane has cemented his place among England’s footballing greats, ending a 25-year wait for an English Ballon d’Or winner.

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