Harry Kane wins the Ballon d’Or
England captain Harry Kane has made history by becoming the first English player since 2001 to win the Ballon d’Or. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker was named the best player in the world at a ceremony held in London. Prior to this, Michael Owen had won the award in 2001.
Kane has become the fifth English player to win the Ballon d’Or. Before him, Stanley Matthews in 1956, Bobby Charlton in 1966, and Kevin Keegan in 1978 and 1979 had claimed the accolade.
This time, France’s Kylian Mbappé finished in second place, with Spain’s Lamine Yamal coming in third. Kane scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich last season. Counting his goals for England as well, he racked up 73 goals and 8 assists in 65 matches. Becoming the highest single-season goalscorer for Bayern, Kane netted 36 goals in the German Bundesliga and 14 in the Champions League.
Despite his outstanding individual performances, Kane was unable to win either the World Cup or the Champions League title last season. He did, however, lift two German domestic trophies with Bayern. The Ballon d’Or was awarded to him prioritizing his individual brilliance and prolific goal tally over major team silverware.
After receiving the award, Kane shared that his career had seen many ups and downs, attributing his success to relentless hard work and self-belief. England manager Thomas Tuchel hailed Kane’s achievement as a massive honor, while Prince William praised him as an exemplary captain and an exceptional player.
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