Ousmane Dembele sends Harry Kane Ballon d’Or congratulations after Paris Saint-Germain tensions

Ousmane Dembele has congratulated Harry Kane after the Bayern Munich striker won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, describing the award as richly deserved.

Kane beat Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the prize at a ceremony in London on Monday.

Dembele, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and France, posted a photograph of Kane holding the trophy on Instagram. Alongside the image, he wrote: “Congratulations to you, Harry Kane. Thoroughly deserved.”

The message comes after tensions between Dembele and Mbappe, who previously spoke about the contrasting paths taken by the two players.

Mbappe had described himself as the player who was chosen and reached the top directly, in contrast to Dembele, who had built his career through hard work and determination.

Dembele responded by emphasising the effort required throughout his career.

“I was always at the back of the line and worked hard,” he said. “Throughout my career, I never said a single word; I simply worked a lot.

“As I said, I was never the chosen player, but I worked hard. Last year, I was rewarded for a great season with Paris Saint-Germain. As for this year, we will see what happens, without pressure and calmly.”