Harry Kane has been named Germany’s Footballer of the Year for 2026, becoming the first Englishman to win the prestigious award.
The Bayern Munich striker was recognised after a remarkable season in which he scored 61 goals in all competitions, helping the club secure a domestic league and cup double and reach the Champions League semi-finals.
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The award, organised by Kicker magazine, is open to Bundesliga players and German players based abroad. A total of 695 members of the German sports journalists association voted.
Kane received 272 votes, finishing ahead of Bayern team-mate Michael Olise, who collected 203 votes. Olise was also runner-up in 2025, when Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz won the award.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl praised the England captain, saying it was difficult to find enough superlatives to describe his performances.
“He’s already been named England’s Footballer of the Year, and now he’s also won it in Germany,” Eberl said.
Kane is also among the leading contenders for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, which will be presented in London in October.
Victory would make him only the second English player to win the award while playing for a German club, following Kevin Keegan, who claimed the honour in 1978 and 1979 during his time with Hamburg.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was named Germany’s Coach of the Year, while Bayern women’s captain Giulia Gwinn won the women’s award.
Kane and Kompany will receive their honours on Friday when Bayern host VfB Stuttgart in their Bundesliga opener at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern have already started the new season with silverware, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the German Super Cup on Saturday.
Kane also received the 2026 European Golden Shoe on Wednesday after finishing as the leading scorer across Europe’s top domestic leagues last season.
