Harry Kane Wins Ballon d’Or, Becomes First Englishman to Claim Award Since 2001

Sports: Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has become the first English player to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001 after being crowned the world’s best player at a ceremony in London.

The 33-year-old is the fifth Englishman to win the prestigious award, following Stanley Matthews in 1956, Bobby Charlton in 1966, and Kevin Keegan, who won it in 1978 and 1979.

Scotland’s Denis Law won the award in 1964, while Northern Ireland’s George Best claimed it in 1968.

Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe finished second, while Barcelona and Spain attacker Lamine Yamal came third.

Kane scored 61 goals in 51 club matches last season, setting a record for the most goals scored by a Bayern Munich player in a single campaign. Including his appearances for England, he scored 73 goals and provided eight assists in 65 matches.

Only one player at a club in Europe’s top five leagues has ever scored more goals in a single season.

Despite his remarkable scoring record, Kane won the Ballon d’Or without lifting either of football’s biggest prizes last season, having suffered defeats in the World Cup and Champions League semi-finals.

England manager Thomas Tuchel welcomed Kane’s achievement, describing it as a huge honour, while Prince William praised the former Tottenham Hotspur player as a brilliant captain and remarkable player.

Kane’s victory also makes him the first Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d’Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.