Harry Kane is the first Englishman in 25 years to win the award. (AP Photo)

England captain and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane on Wednesday became the first player in 25 years from the country to have won the Ballon d’Or. Kane finished as the top goal scorer in Europe last season, scoring a total of 73 goals for club and country. He led Bayern to a domestic double of winning the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal, re-establishing the German giants’ dominance in the latter tournament after a drought of five years.

Spain’s Alexia Putellas ended her international teammate Aitana Bonmati’s hold on the Women’s Ballon d’Or. The Barcelona forward beat her club teammate and Polish striker Ewa Pajor and Jamaican and Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw to the award.…