Harry Kane Becomes First English Winner of Germany’s Footballer of the Year

Harry Kane has become the first Englishman to be named Germany’s footballer of the year after winning the 2026 award in a vote by the country’s sports journalists. BBC Sport and the Guardian reported that the Bayern Munich striker finished ahead of club teammate Michael Olise in the annual poll announced on Sunday.

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Kane received 272 votes, while Olise collected 203 to finish second for a second consecutive year. Olise had also been runner-up in 2025, when Florian Wirtz won the honour. The poll is conducted among members of the Association of German Sports Journalists and is published by Kicker magazine, with Bundesliga players and German footballers based abroad eligible for the men’s award.

The recognition follows a prolific season for Kane and a successful campaign for Bayern. The England captain scored 61 goals in all competitions as the club completed a Bundesliga and German Cup double. Bayern also advanced to the Champions League semi-finals. BBC Sport noted that Kane has finished as the Bundesliga’s leading scorer in each of his three seasons with the Munich club.

Kane’s latest individual honour came only days after he received the 2026 European Golden Shoe for finishing as the leading scorer across Europe’s top domestic leagues last season. He was also involved when Bayern opened the new campaign with a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup on Saturday, adding another trophy before the league season begins.

Bayern claimed the other major awards announced in the same poll. Head coach Vincent Kompany was chosen as Germany’s coach of the year, while Bayern women’s captain Giulia Gwinn won the women’s player award. The Guardian reported that Gwinn finished ahead of Bayern teammate Klara Bühl, extending the club’s presence across the honours.

Kane and Kompany are due to be recognised at the Allianz Arena on Friday, when Bayern host VfB Stuttgart in their Bundesliga opener, according to BBC Sport. The award gives Kane a place in German football history while reflecting a season in which his individual scoring record and Bayern’s team success were closely aligned.