Harry Kane takes Ballon d'Or in London

Harry Kane received the Ballon d'Or at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, becoming the first English player to win the award in 25 years.

The 33-year-old forward finished last season as Europe's top scorer with 73 goals for club and country. He set scoring records for Bayern Munich in Germany and broke Gary Lineker's record for most goals in World Cup history by an England player. Kane captained England to a third-place finish at the World Cup, the country's best result in six decades.

Kane credited his early career struggles for shaping his approach to the game. He told young players that the award resulted from effort during unseen moments. "My journey wasn't straightforward. I wasn't the kid who went straight to the top. I had to experience the downs," Kane said. "I had to fight my way to be the very best right now." He thanked his wife, Kate, calling her his best friend and biggest supporter.

Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Rodri, and Lionel Messi finished behind Kane in the voting. Yamal was named best young talent for the third consecutive year. England coach Thomas Tuchel told Kane that the national team is lucky to have him as its leader. Tuchel stated he had run out of superlatives to describe Kane's performances before the formal recognition arrived.

Fans gathered in the streets near Oxford Circus to watch the athletes arrive. Some climbed light poles for a better view, while others stayed through the ceremony to chant Kane's name as he left the theater after midnight. Kane stopped to sign autographs on his way into the venue.

The ceremony was held in London for the first time to mark the 70th anniversary of the award's creation. Stanley Matthews, an Englishman, was the first winner in 1956. Kane noted that the location felt like a good omen. "It's been too long. Certainly incredible English players.. To put us back on the map, to put us here with this trophy I'm extremely proud," he said.

Kane has an early flight to Munich on Tuesday to join team training ahead of a Wednesday cup match. He plans to keep celebrations modest with family and friends. "We have a cup game on Wednesday so it can't get too messy," Kane said.