Kane beats Mbappé, Yamal to win Ballon d'Or, England's 1st in 25 years

BREAKING: Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Englishman to claim the award in 25 years after beating Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal in London.

Harry Kane is the Ballon d'Or winner, the first Englishman in 25 years.

The ceremony was in London last night, and watch him take the stage here. Seventy three goals this season. He carried Bayern Munich through the Bundesliga and the Champions League, then dragged England to the World Cup semifinals. On stage he said being in London felt like a good omen, and he thanked the hundred journalists who voted, saying he could imagine it was tough.

It was tough. He beat Kylian Mbappé, who became the top scorer in World Cup history this summer, and Lamine Yamal, who actually won the tournament with Spain. That's the argument football will have for months, and Kane won it anyway.

The last Englishman to lift this thing was Michael Owen in 2001. Kane is 33, and the one knock on his career was always the trophy cabinet. Well, there's something golden in it now.

This is Kateryna Kovalenko, reporting for HIT.