Downing Street has hinted that Harry Kane deserves a knighthood after the England captain became the first Englishman in 25 years to win the Ballon d'Or, the Guardian reported. Asked whether Prime Minister Andy Burnham would like to see Kane honoured, his spokesperson said: “I think everyone would agree, Harry Kane has given an enormous amount to English football, and this is a very special moment for him and the country, but, as ever, I’m not going to pre-empt the honours process.” Kane collected the award at the London Palladium on the night of 26 October, beating Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, and congratulations followed from Bayern Munich, Tottenham and England coach Thomas Tuchel.
No 10's message
The spokesperson said Burnham sent his praise and congratulations, adding: “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 noted that the award comes 70 years after Sir Stanley Matthews won the inaugural prize, and said the prime minister hoped England would have another trophy to celebrate before too long. The Guardian read that as a nod to Euro 2028, which England co-host with Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
Burnham cannot hand out a knighthood himself. Ministers, government departments and private individuals can all send recommendations to the honours committee, whose sport panel includes presenter Sue Barker and Football Foundation chief executive Robert Sullivan, the Guardian said.
Why a knighthood may have to wait
Kane already holds an MBE, awarded after England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, and players are often not knighted until they retire. David Beckham and Gareth Southgate were both knighted in 2025; before them, the most recent was Sir Kenny Dalglish. Michael Owen, England's previous winner in 2001, has not been knighted, and neither was Kevin Keegan. Kane is the fifth Englishman to win the award, after Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Keegan and Owen.
Bayern, Spurs and Tuchel
Bayern said Kane is the club's first Ballon d'Or winner in 45 years, since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981, Bongda24h reported. President Herbert Hainer called it a proud day for the club, described Kane as a player who can do everything and simply keeps scoring, and said he now stands alongside Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Rummenigge. Chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen said a player from a German club winning for the first time in 30 years, since Matthias Sammer in 1996, was a strong signal for the Bundesliga.
Tottenham posted a tribute on their website, Bongdaplus reported, saying the club could not be prouder to see one of its academy graduates win the award, a first for Spurs. Kane remains their record scorer with 280 goals in 435 games before his move to Bayern in the summer of 2023.
Tuchel's message, published by the Independent according to Bongda24h, called the award fully deserved, said being the first Englishman to win it in 25 years made it all the more special, and told Kane that England were lucky to have him as captain.
Kane's thank-yous
Kane thanked his Bayern teammates first in his acceptance speech, saying it could not have happened without them and that the way they pushed and competed with each other made him a better player, Bongda24h reported. He paid special tribute to coach Vincent Kompany, who missed the ceremony because he was in hospital. He also thanked Tottenham, where he had been since he was 11 years old, and named the coaches who shaped him: Harry Redknapp, Mauricio Pochettino, José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Gareth Southgate and Tuchel.
The season behind the award
Opta figures cited by Thanh Niên show how complete the 33-year-old's 2025/26 season was:
| Competition | 2025/26 output |
|---|---|
| All competitions | 73 goals in 65 games (61 for Bayern, 12 for England) |
| Bundesliga | 36 goals, a third straight top-scorer title |
| Champions League | 14 goals, Bayern reached the semi-finals |
| German Cup | 10 goals, including a hat-trick in the 3-0 final win over Stuttgart |
| 2026 World Cup | 6 goals, England finished third |
Key moments in his career, compiled from Bongdaplus and Thanh Niên:
| When | Milestone |
|---|---|
| August 2011 | Tottenham debut against Hearts in the Europa League |
| 2014/15 season | 31 goals in all competitions and a first England call-up |
| February 2023 | 267th Spurs goal, against Manchester City, breaks Jimmy Greaves's record of 266 |
| Summer 2023 | Joins Bayern for €100m, then a club record |
| 2025/26 season | 73 goals and a Bundesliga and German Cup double |
| 26 October 2026 | Wins the Ballon d'Or in London |
What comes next
Any knighthood would have to go through the honours committee rather than the prime minister. On the pitch, Bongdaplus noted that Kane currently shares England's appearance record and has a chance to hold it outright in November. The team trophy No 10 has in mind, as the Guardian reads it, is Euro 2028, which England will co-host.