"Don't call him a loser again": the world bows to Harry Kane after years of mockery
End of the English wait
Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or triumph for 2026 dominated the world's back pages, the England captain crowned the best player in football at the age of 33 after a stunning season with Bayern Munich and his country. The award ended years of criticism over how long it had taken him to win silverware.
Newspapers across the globe seized on the record numbers behind the Bayern striker's season and the long road he had travelled to reach the top. His coronation, they agreed, vindicated a player whose talents had been underrated for years before he forced his way among the game's elite and brought the Ballon d'Or back to England after a 25-year wait.
"King Harry"
France's "L'Equipe" hailed Kane as "King Harry", noting that the England captain lifted the award at 33 after an exceptional campaign for club and country.
The paper picked out his 73 goals in 65 matches and his part in Bayern Munich's success, alongside leading England to third place at the World Cup. Kane saw off France's Kylian Mbappe and Spain's Lamine Yamal, who came third and fourth respectively.
One headline delivered a pointed message: "Don't call him a loser again", a nod to the criticism that had followed the English striker over his years without trophies.
In its print edition, "L'Equipe" also celebrated Spain's Alexia Putellas winning the Ballon d'Or for the third time in her career.
"An ordinary star"
Italy's "La Gazzetta dello Sport" turned to the journey towards Kane's dream, calling his Ballon d'Or win at 33, and in his birthplace of London, a remarkable moment in his career.
Moving the ceremony from Paris to the British capital, the paper reckoned, gave the coronation a special feel. It marked the occasion with a front-page headline: "Kane: the new king is English".
"King Kane: king of the world"
Germany's "Bild" revelled in the Bayern striker's triumph, noting that he had brought the award back to the German league some three decades after Matthias Sammer last won it.
The paper quoted Kane as saying: "It is a great honour to play for Bayern Munich", before he added: "I am happy to return the trophy to Bayern Munich".
Kane also sent a message to his coach Vincent Kompany, who watched the ceremony from hospital: "You are watching this from the hospital, but I hope this gives you some energy".
"The English star"
Britain's "Daily Mirror" put the spotlight on the exceptional season Kane produced at Bayern Munich, pointing to his 61 goals in 51 matches for the German club last season and his part in winning the German league and German Cup.
Those numbers, the paper argued, made the English striker one of the frontrunners for the award before he lifted it for the first time in his career.
Yes, he can
"The Sun" called Kane's win a reward for astonishing goalscoring returns, making him the first English player to claim the Ballon d'Or in 25 years.
The paper flagged the strength of the field, with Mbappe and Yamal among the biggest names in the race.
"The crowning of a determined scorer"
France's "Le Parisien" zeroed in on the transformation in Kane's career, a player long dismissed as little more than a sharp finisher who never earned proper recognition for his gifts.
After his move to Bayern Munich and a reinvention, the paper noted, the player reached the summit of world football, crowned with the Ballon d'Or for 2026 some 15 kilometres from Walthamstow, where he was born.
The end of the English drought
Britain's "The Guardian" framed Kane's win as the end of a 25-year English wait, a reward for a season in which he claimed the European Golden Shoe, helped crown Bayern Munich German league champions and shone for his country at the World Cup.
The paper also praised his humility, suggesting his personality and his handling of success add to the value of what he has achieved on and off the pitch.
Only Messi scored more goals than Kane
Portugal's "A Bola" homed in on the striker's goalscoring numbers, writing that his talent and persistence had finally paid off, coming after he waited until past 30 to win his first major trophies.
Kane scored 73 goals across the season, the paper stated, beating the 69 Cristiano Ronaldo managed in a single campaign. Only Lionel Messi still holds a higher mark.
They were mocking him until recently
Brazil's "O Globo" dwelt on the paradox of Kane's career, a man ridiculed for years over his lack of trophies before his move to Bayern Munich rewrote the story.
The paper noted that the player ended the wait and won silverware with the German club, the German league, the German Cup and the German Super Cup among them, before lifting the Ballon d'Or off the back of an exceptional 73 goals in 65 matches.
