Harry Kane has made history after being named Germany’s Footballer of the Year for 2026, becoming the first English player to receive the prestigious award.
The Bayern Munich striker enjoyed an outstanding campaign, scoring an incredible 61 goals in all competitions as the German giants secured a league and cup double while also reaching the Champions League semi-finals.
The annual award, organised by German football magazine Kicker, is open to Bundesliga players as well as German footballers playing abroad.
A total of 695 members of Germany’s sports journalists association took part in the voting.
Kane comfortably topped the poll with 272 votes, finishing ahead of Bayern team-mate Michael Olise, who received 203.
Olise also finished second in the 2025 vote, when Florian Wirtz claimed the honour.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl praised Kane’s remarkable contribution, admitting it was becoming increasingly difficult to find new ways to describe the England captain’s performances.
"It's almost impossible to find the right superlatives to describe Harry Kane - sometimes I'm at a loss for words," Eberl said.
"He's already been named England's Footballer of the Year, and now he's also won it in Germany."
Kane’s prolific season has also placed him among the leading contenders for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, which is due to be presented in London in October.
Victory would put Kane alongside Kevin Keegan as an Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or while representing a German club.
Keegan claimed the award in both 1978 and 1979 during his spell with Hamburg.
Bayern’s success was further recognised in the annual German awards, with Vincent Kompany named Coach of the Year.
Bayern women’s captain Giulia Gwinn was selected as the country’s best female player.
Kane and Kompany are set to receive recognition for their awards at the Allianz Arena on Friday, when Bayern begin their Bundesliga campaign against VfB Stuttgart.
The German champions have already started the new season by adding another trophy to their collection, defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the German Super Cup on Saturday.
Kane’s Footballer of the Year honour follows another major individual accolade.
On Wednesday, the striker received the 2026 European Golden Shoe after finishing last season as the leading scorer across Europe’s top domestic leagues.
After a record-breaking campaign in front of goal, Kane’s latest award further underlines his status as one of European football’s standout performers.
