Harry Kane wins Ballon d'Or best striker award with 73 goals

England captain Harry Kane was named the best striker of the year at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on 26 October 2026. According to L'Équipe, the 33-year-old Bayern Munich forward scored 73 goals in 65 matches during the 2025/26 season. The prize used to be called the Gerd Müller Trophy.

Unlike the main Ballon d'Or, this award involves no jury and no voting: the goal tally alone decides the winner. Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo pointed out that Kane was the world's leading scorer last season and had no real challenger in this category. Bayern also marked the award on the club's official website with a look at the numbers behind his record-breaking season.

Why did Harry Kane's 73 goals win the award?

Harry Kane won the award thanks to the 73 goals he scored for club and country in 2025/26. Because the prize is based purely on goals across a season, his strikes for both Bayern Munich and England count towards the total. ScoreLab data shows the striker averaged 1.36 goals and 4.5 shots per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga last season, a rate that left little doubt about the outcome before the ceremony.

According to ScoreLab data, Kane's honours include 2 Bundesliga titles, 1 DFB Cup and 2 German Super Cups. Across 6 clubs he has played 658 games and scored 452 goals. For England he has 91 goals and 19 assists in 125 appearances, placing him among his country's most prolific forwards.

What else happened at the Ballon d'Or ceremony?

German magazine kicker reported that Barcelona players dominated the night in London. Mundo Deportivo said Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón gave an emotional speech when collecting his award. Unlike the voted main prize, Kane's category was never expected to produce a surprise.

How has Harry Kane started the new season?

Harry Kane has started 2026/27 as much a creator as a finisher. ScoreLab data shows he has 4 goals and 5 assists in 7 Bundesliga games, making him Bayern's second-highest scorer. His scoring rate is below last season's, but his assists per 90 minutes have risen from 0.19 to 0.84. In the Champions League he scored twice in a 3-3 draw with Viking on 13 October and had a goal and an assist in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal on 21 October; on 17 October he added a goal and two assists in a 6-1 Bundesliga win over RB Leipzig.

He was just as busy on international duty. ScoreLab data shows Kane scored twice and set up another as England beat Croatia 7-0 in the UEFA Nations League on 3 October 2026, then struck twice in a 3-0 win over Czechia on 6 October 2026. A day before the ceremony, on 25 October 2026, Bayern won 3-1 at Freiburg.

What's next for Kane and Bayern?

Bayern Munich host Magdeburg in the DFB Cup on 28 October 2026 and Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on 31 October 2026. They then travel to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on 3 November 2026 and to Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga on 7 November 2026. ScoreLab data shows that Kane, born on 28 July 1993, is under contract with Bayern Munich until 30 June 2027.