Harry Kane has become the first English player to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, after being named the world’s best player at a ceremony in London.
The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker is the fifth Englishman to win the award. Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966) and Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979) are the others. Scotland’s Denis Law (1964) and Northern Ireland’s George Best (1968) are the other winners from the United Kingdom. Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe finished second, with Barcelona and Spain attacker Lamine Yamal third.
Kane told Dazn that few people would have expected it, and that he might not have either. He said he went through many ups and downs early in his career and was never seen as the player destined to be a superstar like some of today’s names. He had to bide his time and work hard, and often found himself battling his own mind, so he needed self-belief and determination. That, he said, kept him grounded when he reached the highest level and kept him improving.
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he was “delighted” and called it a “huge honour”. Prince William described Kane as a “brilliant captain” and “remarkable player”.
Kane scored 61 goals in 51 club games last season, the most any Bayern player has scored in a single campaign. Including England matches, he scored 73 goals and added eight assists in 65 matches. Only one player at a club in Europe’s top five leagues has scored more goals in a season.
He won despite not lifting either of football’s two biggest trophies. England lost in the World Cup semi-finals and Bayern lost in the Champions League semi-finals. Kane is also the first Bayern player to win the Ballon d’Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
To mark the win, the Wembley arches were lit gold on Monday night.
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