New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) England captain Harry Kane has described winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or as an incredible honour, thanking his teammates, coaching staff, family and supporters after becoming the first Englishman in 25 years to claim football’s most prestigious individual award.

Kane took to social media to reflect on the achievement, saying the ceremony and the recognition would remain special memories after a remarkable season with Bayern Munich and England.

“Where do I begin? That was an evening I’ll never forget,” Kane wrote on X.

“It’s an incredible honour to receive the Ballon d’Or award after a year full of goals, trophies and special milestones. Thank you to all the staff and my teammates at @england and @fcbayern, as well as family, friends and everyone who’s supported me – this wouldn’t be possible without you all,” he added.

The 33-year-old also thanked fans for their messages and posts following his achievement.

“Thank you to everyone who has sent a kind message or social media post - I appreciate every single one of them. This will live long in the memory,” he wrote.

Kane became only the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, following Stanley Matthews in 1956, Bobby Charlton in 1966, Kevin Keegan in 1978 and 1979, and Michael Owen in 2001.

The Bayern Munich striker enjoyed the most prolific season of his career, scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country. He netted 61 times for the German champions across competitions, including 36 goals in the Bundesliga during the 2025-26 season, earning his second European Golden Shoe.

Kane’s contributions helped Bayern win the Bundesliga title, the DFB-Pokal and the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. He also scored 12 goals for England, who finished third at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, their best finish in the tournament since winning the title in 1966.

Reflecting on his performances during the award ceremony, Kane said the season had been the best of his career and credited those around him for his success.

“It was an incredible year for me last year – to score the number of goals I did was something I’m extremely proud of,” he said. “It was the best season of my career without a doubt.”

Kane also acknowledged Bayern Munich and England teammates, along with coaches Thomas Tuchel and Vincent Kompany, for helping him achieve the milestone.

“To score this amount of goals is a total team effort. Without them, without the players I have around me pushing me in training and in matches, it wouldn’t be possible,” he added.

The England captain also collected the Gerd Muller Trophy, awarded to the best men’s striker of the year. It was his second time receiving the honour, having shared the award with Kylian Mbappe in 2024.

--IANS

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