Kane's Ballon d'Or crowns rise from loan struggles to England history

Harry Kane is England's first Ballon d'Or winner since 2001, completing a remarkable climb from uncertain loan spells to record-breaking success for club and country.

Harry Kane has become the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or, claiming the award at the London Palladium on Monday after a season of extraordinary scoring. The 33-year-old finished ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to end England's wait for a winner stretching back to Michael Owen in 2001. Across Bayern Munich and England appearances in 2025–26, Kane struck 73 goals in 65 matches.

Those numbers are the latest addition to a career built on sustained production. Kane leads England's scoring charts with 91 goals, while his 125 caps put him level with Peter Shilton. At Tottenham, he accumulated a club-record 280 goals in 435 appearances before joining Bayern in August 2023. Two Bundesliga titles have since answered the criticism that his individual excellence had never translated into silverware at Spurs.

Yet his route to the top offered little certainty. Aged 17, Kane joined Leyton Orient in January 2011 and scored five times in 18 appearances. At Millwall the following year, he registered nine goals in 24 starts. Concerns within Tottenham about whether the New Den's demanding atmosphere would suit him were rejected by Tim Sherwood, who regarded the environment as exactly what the young striker needed.

Subsequent loans brought tougher tests. Kane failed to score in three starts for Norwich and suffered a serious foot injury, although manager Chris Hughton remembered his commitment to extra finishing practice. Leicester offered no immediate breakthrough either: he scored twice in five starts between February and May 2013. For their dramatic play-off defeat at Watford, Kane began on the bench alongside Jamie Vardy, entering after 61 minutes.

Kane later acknowledged that those struggles left him questioning whether he could establish himself at Tottenham. His eventual response has extended beyond finishing: his ability to retreat into midfield and create chances was demonstrated by the pass for Alphonso Davies' recent Champions League goal against Arsenal. Alan Shearer praised the persistence behind Kane's rise, pointing to his willingness to work through rejection rather than accept it.

An England trophy remains the major gap after two European Championship final defeats and two World Cup semi-final losses. Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland offers another potential target. For now, Kane's reaction to his greatest individual honour captured the approach behind it. Posting on social media, he wrote: "Work hard in silence. Let success be your noise."

Original reporting:BBC Sport