Harry Kane Breaks 25-Year Jinx to Become First English Ballon d’Or Winner Since Owen

Its a Spursy to Success story.

England captain Harry Kane has become the first English footballer in 25 years to win the Ballon d’Or, ending the country’s long wait for the prestigious individual award since Michael Owen claimed the honour in 2001.

The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker was crowned the world’s best player at a ceremony in London, joining an exclusive list of English winners that includes Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan.

Recall that Matthews won the inaugural award in 1956, Charlton followed in 1966, while Keegan claimed it in consecutive years, 1978 and 1979.

Kane is the fifth Englishman to win the award and the first Bayern Munich player to receive the honour since German legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.

France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe finished second, while Barcelona and Spain youngster Lamine Yamal came third.

Speaking on his journey to the summit of world football, Kane said his success had been built on perseverance, hard work and self-belief, despite facing doubts about his potential early in his career.

“Not many people would have thought it, and maybe even I wouldn’t have thought I’d be this far,” he told DAZN.

The England skipper added that he had endured several difficult periods before establishing himself among football’s elite.

“I had to go through many ups and downs, especially early in my career. I was never the person that people thought was going to be the superstar like some of the guys now,” he said.

Kane explained that overcoming those challenges taught him to remain focused on continuous improvement, even after reaching the highest level of the game.

“I had to bide my time and work hard. A lot of times it was me against my own mind and I had to come through it. I had to show self-belief, determination,” he said.

His triumph comes after a remarkable goalscoring campaign in which he netted 61 times in 51 club appearances for Bayern Munich. Including his England commitments, Kane finished the season with 73 goals and eight assists in 65 matches.

His club tally was the highest ever recorded by a Bayern Munich player in a single campaign, underlining his importance to the German champions.

Despite his extraordinary individual numbers, Kane’s Ballon d’Or victory comes without either of football’s biggest team prizes last season, having suffered defeats in the semi-finals of the World Cup and Champions League.

England manager Thomas Tuchel welcomed the striker’s achievement, describing himself as delighted by the recognition of Kane’s contribution to football.

Prince William also praised the former Tottenham Hotspur forward, describing him as a brilliant captain and a remarkable player.

Kane’s victory adds his name to a distinguished group of British footballers who have won the award. Scotland’s Denis Law claimed it in 1964, while Northern Ireland’s George Best won in 1968.