Harry Kane breaks silence after historic 2026 Ballon dOr victory

Harry Kane has described winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or as the greatest achievement of his career, thanking his England and Bayern Munich team-mates, family and supporters in an emotional message on X.

The England captain collected the prestigious award in London on Monday evening, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal after a closely contested race.

The ceremony was jointly organised by France Football and UEFA for the third consecutive year and featured a 30-player shortlist made up of leading footballers from around the world.

Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich and leads England, shared his reaction with supporters only hours after receiving the individual honour.

“Where do I start? It was an evening I will never forget,” he wrote in a post on his official X account.

The striker said the award was recognition for a year in which he had enjoyed success both personally and with his teams.

“It is a huge honour to receive the Ballon d’Or after a year full of goals, titles and outstanding achievements,” Kane added. “This year was exceptional both individually and collectively.”

Kane also paid tribute to the people he believes helped him reach the top of world football, singling out colleagues from both club and country as well as those closest to him.

“Thank you to all the staff members and my team-mates with England and Bayern Munich. Thank you to my family, my friends and everyone who supported me,” he said.

“This achievement would not have been possible without all of your support.”

The England captain ended his message by thanking supporters around the world who had contacted him or shared posts celebrating his success.

“Thank you to everyone who sent a kind message or shared a post on social media,” Kane wrote. “I appreciate every one of them. This moment will remain etched in my memory for a long time.”

Kane is due to return to club action with Bayern Munich in the German Cup against Magdeburg on 28 October 2026.

His next listed international fixture is with England in the UEFA Nations League – Path A against Croatia on 12 November 2026.

Upcoming fixtures

Bayern Munich German Cup 28 October 2026 Magdeburg

England UEFA Nations League – Path A 12 November 2026 Croatia