Harry Kane, the English striker, won the prestigious Ballon d’Or on Monday, becoming the first Englishman to achieve this in 25 years. The recognition comes thanks to his outstanding performance last season, when he scored 73 goals for club and country, and was named the best goalscorer in Europe. He broke scoring records in Germany with Bayern Munich and at the World Cup, where he led England to third place.
The 33-year-old Kane stressed that this individual award is the fruit of tireless work and belief in oneself. “Everything is possible with tireless work, when no one is watching, to go through the lows and highs, to learn through perseverance, determination and self-confidence,” Kane said, reflecting on the difficulties of his early career. He added that his journey was not straightforward and that he had to fight to reach the top. In the voting, Kane was followed by Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal (voted best young player for the third year in a row), 2024 winner Rodri and Lionel Messi, the record eight-time winner.
Kane thanked his teammates, coaches, parents, children and wife Kate, whom he called “my best friend” and “my greatest supporter”. He led Bayern to two trophies, the Bundesliga and the German Cup, scoring a hat-trick in the cup final against Stuttgart, and also reached the Champions League semi-finals. At the World Cup, he scored six goals, surpassing Gary Lineker as England’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer, and ranked among the five top goalscorers of all time in the tournament. England, under captain Kane, beat Mbappé’s France for third place, their best result in 60 years.
Kane’s win is of great significance for England, as no Englishman had won the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001. “It’s something massive for England, for our country,” Kane said, adding that the ceremony in London was a good omen. England coach Thomas Tuchel called Kane “our leader” and expressed his joy that his performances have been officially recognised by the football world. Fans filled the streets near the London Palladium, where the event was held, chanting Kane’s name and asking for autographs. Kane planned to celebrate with family and friends, but in moderation, as he had a cup match on Wednesday and an early flight to Munich.
Earlier, Spanish star Alexia Putellas won the Women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time, equalling the record. She led her former club Barcelona to numerous trophies last season, including the Women’s Champions League, and helped Spain win the Women’s Nations League. The 32-year-old Putellas, who joined London City Lionesses, broke the three-year dominance of fellow Spaniard Aitana Bonmatí. Putellas, who won the award in 2021 and 2022, urged young players to approach the sport with “love and passion”, stressing the importance of self-belief and pursuing dreams. She described her 14-season spell at Barcelona as “something special”.
Taken from NBC News