“Ronaldo was one of my idols growing up” – Harry Kane

England captain Harry Kane expressed the significance of being awarded the Ballon d’Or by his childhood idol, former Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazario. The Bayern Munich player described the moment as surreal, highlighting the honor of receiving the prestigious award from someone he admired throughout his youth. Kane was named the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner on October 26 at the London Palladium, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the award and marking the first time the ceremony was held outside France.

The 33-year-old defeated Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to claim his first-ever Ballon d’Or, becoming the first Englishman to do so in 25 years since Michael Owen in 2001 and the fifth Englishman ever. Kane's triumph also marked the first time a Bayern Munich player won the individual award since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.

With an impressive season, Kane scored 61 goals in 51 club matches, the most ever by a Bayern player in a single campaign, totaling 73 goals and eight assists across 65 matches, including those for England. His 73 goals ranked as the second-highest total ever, just behind Lionel Messi’s 82 in the 2011-12 season. Despite his goal-scoring prowess, Kane did not secure the Champions League or World Cup titles, as Bayern Munich lost 6-5 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals and England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, finishing third.

The award was presented by Ronaldo Nazario, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner himself, adding a special dimension to Kane's historic achievement.