Ballon d'Or 2026: Harry Kane makes history after beating Mbappé, Yamal to win award

England captain, Harry Kane on Monday night in London made history after beating Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d’Or.

The Bayern Munich striker became the first player to win both Gerd Müller Trophy and Ballon d’Or in the same year.

Prior to the official presentation of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, Kane had already been awarded the 2026 Gerd Müller Trophy, giving him two individual honours at the ceremony.

The Gerd Müller Trophy originated from France Football magazine’s annual Best Striker award in 2021.

The award is meant to honor the player who scored the most goals during the award period.

However, with these two awards, Kane became the first player in history to win both the Gerd Müller Trophy and the Ballon d’Or in the same year.

Kane netted 73 goals and provided 8 assists in all competitions for club and country last season.

The 33-year-old also won the 2025-26 Bundesliga, German Cup and German Super Cup titles.