Ballon d’Or 2026: Can Bayern’s Harry Kane end England’s 25 years of hurt?

England's Harry Kane heads into Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony at the London Palladium as the bookmakers' favourite — and with the chance to end a quarter-century of hurt for his country.

No Englishman has lifted football's most prestigious individual prize since Michael Owen in 2001. Kane, the England captain, can change that after what he calls the best season of his life: 73 goals in all competitions in 2025-26, the most prolific campaign by any player since Lionel Messi's 82-goal season in 2011-12. The 33-year-old also finished as the Bundesliga's top scorer, netting 36 times as Bayern Munich dominated German football once more.

Standing between Kane and the golden ball are two generational talents. Spain's Lamine Yamal, who lifted the 2026 World Cup shortly after turning 19, and France's 2018 world champion Kylian Mbappe, 27, are both in contention. Bookmakers give Kane around 65 to 70 percent of the market, making him the clear frontrunner to succeed Ousmane Dembele.

There are marks against him. Bayern fell short in the Champions League semifinal, and England could only manage third place at the World Cup. History suggests major tournament success is close to a prerequisite: only four of the previous 19 Ballon d'Or winners lifted neither the Champions League nor a World Cup or continental title.

Bayern are firmly behind their leader. The club released a video of teammates backing Kane, with Luis Diaz saying: "He deserves to win it, 100 percent, without a doubt." If the voters agree, Kane would become just the fifth English winner in the award's history — and end 25 years of waiting.