European football: Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane named player of the year in Germany
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Harry Kane has been named the 2026 Player of the Year in Germany by the Association of German Sports Journalists, becoming the first Englishman to win the award. The Bayern Munich striker finished ahead of teammate Michael Olise after a season in which he helped the club win the Bundesliga and German Cup and reach the Champions League semi-finals, while Bayern manager Vincent Kompany was separately named coach of the year. The award underlines Kane's continued impact in Germany since his move from Tottenham, cementing his status as one of the Bundesliga's standout performers.
Kane scored 61 goals for Bayern in all competitions last season and added six more for England, who reached the World Cup semi-finals before losing to Argentina; he also played in Bayern's 2-1 Super Cup win over Borussia Dortmund. The award, voted on by 695 members of the journalists' association, saw Olise finish runner-up for a second successive year, having also been beaten by Florian Wirtz in 2025, while Bayern sporting director Max Eberl offered high praise for Kane's performances.
- Harry Kane named Germany's 2026 Player of the Year, a first for an Englishman
- He scored 61 club goals last season as Bayern won two trophies
- Bayern's Vincent Kompany also named coach of the year
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Bayern Munich's Harry Kane has been named Germany's Player of the Year for 2026 by the country's association of sports journalists, the first Englishman to receive the honour. The 33-year-old striker joined Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023 and has become one of the club's most prolific forwards, helping them win domestic trophies and compete deep into European competition.
The award is decided by a large panel of German sports journalists and has previously been won by some of the country's best-known players. Kane's team-mate Michael Olise finished as runner-up, continuing a strong recent run of Bayern players featuring near the top of the vote, while Bayern's manager, Vincent Kompany, picked up the separate coach of the year prize.
Kane has also been a key figure for the England national team, and is regularly mentioned as a contender for the Ballon d'Or, one of football's most prestigious individual awards, which recognises the best player in the world each year.