Harry Kane has won the Ballon d’Or. The England captain is the first Englishman to claim football’s most prestigious individual award in 25 years. Downing Street has since hinted he deserves a knighthood.
Kane, 33, received the award at the London Palladium on Monday night. The Bayern Munich striker beat Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. He is the fifth English winner, following Michael Owen in 2001, Kevin Keegan, Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Stanley Matthews. Matthews won the inaugural award 70 years ago. Kane was also named men’s striker of the year.
Number 10 Sends Its Congratulations
Prime Minister Andy Burnham congratulated Kane through his spokesperson. “To be the first Englishman to win it in 25 years is an extraordinary achievement, and what a moment to do it here at home,” she said. She called Kane a “brilliant example to young players across the country.”
Number 10 also looked ahead. It hopes Kane will soon have “another trophy to celebrate with England.” That points to the European Championship in 2028, which England co-hosts with Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
Asked about a knighthood, the spokesperson stopped short of a promise. “Harry Kane has given an enormous amount to English football, and this is a very special moment for him and the country,” she said. “But, as ever, I’m not going to pre-empt the honours process.”
How the Honours Process Works
The prime minister cannot award a knighthood himself. Ministers, departments and private individuals can all recommend names to the honours committee. The sport committee includes presenter Sue Barker and Football Foundation chief executive Robert Sullivan.
Kane already holds an MBE, awarded after England reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. Footballers often wait until retirement for a knighthood. Sir David Beckham and Sir Gareth Southgate received theirs last year. Owen and Keegan never did.
Kane’s First Club Celebrates
In Walthamstow, Kane’s boyhood club is celebrating. Ridgeway Rovers chairman Ian Marshall said he was “welling up” during the ceremony. “I know how hard he’s worked to get it, and I know what he’s had to go through from the beginning,” he said. The club is considering a tribute on its kit.
Alex Welsh, a former Arsenal academy coach, called the win “fully deserved.” Kane’s early path was not guaranteed. At 10, Arsenal weren’t sure he would make the cut. Welsh spent five months trying to turn him into a goalkeeper. “I failed miserably,” he joked. “The whole nation owes me a debt of gratitude that I was hopeless at my job.”
A Kane statue stands at the Peter May Sports Centre, where Ridgeway train. “We want every kid that comes on to this pitch to look at this statue and think, ‘That could be me one of these days,’” Welsh said. Ten-year-old Stanley, who plays for the club’s Under 10s, said Kane’s journey is “an inspiration for the whole team.”
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