Kane first Englishman to win Germany's player of the year award

Harry Kane has been named Germany's Footballer of the Year for 2026, making him the first English player to claim the prestigious award. The Bayern Munich forward netted 61 goals across all competitions last season as his team claimed both league and cup titles and progressed to the Champions League semi-finals. To be eligible for the award, players must be either Bundesliga members or international players representing German clubs abroad.

The German Sports Journalists Association voted for the winner, with 695 members participating. Kane secured 272 votes, edging out his Bayern teammate Michael Olise, who garnered 203 votes. Bayern sporting director Max Eberl praised Kane's exceptional talent, stating that he often struggles to find the right words to describe him.

Kane is among the frontrunners for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, to be presented in London in October. If successful, he would become only the second English player to win the award while playing for a German club, following Kevin Keegan's victories in 1978 and 1979 with Hamburg. Bayern Munich's coach, Vincent Kompany, was honored as Coach of the Year, while the team's captain, Giulia Gwinn, claimed the award for Best Female Player.

Kane and Kompany will be recognized on Friday during Bayern's Bundesliga debut match against VfB Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena. The German champions kicked off their season with a silver-plated victory by defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the German Super Cup on Saturday. On Wednesday, Kane was awarded the 2026 Golden Shoe for being the top scorer across Europe's leading leagues in the previous season.