Kane, Putellas taste Ballon d’Or glory

LONDON, England (AFP) — Harry Kane became England’s first Ballon d’Or winner in 25 years in his native city of London on Monday, beating out stiff competition from Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe. Alexia Putellas claimed the women’s prize for a third time to extend Spain’s domination of the award, thanks to her role in leading Barcelona to last season’s UEFA Champions League before moving to London City Lionesses. The first-ever Ballon d’Or ceremony on English soil got off to an inauspicious start as the London traffic caused a delay of nearly an hour, with many of the star names arriving late. But there was a happy ending for the hometown hero as Kane collected the crowning glory of his career to date. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich forward struck a remarkable 73 goals in 65 games for club and country last season, propelling the German giants to a league and cup double.

He also scored six times as England finished third at the World Cup. “Without you guys [his Bayern Munich teammates] and the rest of the team it wouldn’t be possible, the way you guys push me, the way we compete. So thank you very much,” Kane said after collecting the award. Kane’s medal collection is limited to German domestic triumphs since he arrived at Bayern in 2023. He was on the losing side for Tottenham in the 2019 Champions League final against Liverpool, and twice tasted bitter defeat in the final of the European Championship with England. But his remarkable goalscoring consistency has earned him the highest individual award in football. “Making the move to Bayern Munich was a big step in my career,” Kane told AFP earlier. “Some people saw it as a risk but for me, it was always about improving and seeing if I could get better around the teammates, the team, the club — and it has pushed me onto…