Kane wins Ballon d'Or after career built from loan spells and doubt
Harry Kane has been crowned Ballon d'Or winner, capping a career that began with lower-league loan moves and early self-doubt before record-breaking feats for Tottenham, Bayern Munich and England.
Harry Kane has been named the world's best player, receiving the Ballon d'Or at a ceremony at the London Palladium on Monday. The 33-year-old beat Real Madrid and France striker Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's teenage Spain forward Lamine Yamal to the sport's biggest individual honour. According to the article, Kane is the first English player to win the trophy since Michael Owen in 2001 and the fifth overall.
Kane's statistics underpin the award. He is England's record scorer with 91 goals and has 125 caps, level with Peter Shilton. He is Tottenham Hotspur's record scorer with 280 goals in 435 appearances, and the article states he scored 73 goals in 65 games for Bayern Munich and England during the 2025-26 season. At Bayern he has won the Bundesliga twice.
His path was far from direct. Kane took in loan spells at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City, where he was on the bench alongside future England team-mate Jamie Vardy during the dramatic 2013 Championship play-off defeat at Watford. He later admitted that period was the hardest of his career, questioning whether he could ever return to Tottenham. Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood recalled disagreeing with a scout who wanted Kane removed from Millwall's intimidating environment, while Chris Hughton remembered his finishing and extra training at Norwich.
Kane has been described as an 'anti-superstar' because of his humility, and his achievement drew praise from across football. Former England striker Alan Shearer told BBC Radio 5 Live the award was deserved because Kane had to do things the hard way after being told he was not quite good enough, and highlighted how normal and humble he remains. Former England midfielder Danny Murphy called him a born goalscorer and a super professional.
The article notes Kane's Tottenham record long carried the caveat that he never won a trophy, a gap he has closed at Bayern. The one remaining space on his roll of honour is success with England, after defeats in two European Championship finals and two World Cup semi-finals. Kane returns to action with Bayern against Magdeburg in the DFB Pokal second round on Wednesday, before a home fixture against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
