The England captain beat superstars Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to collect the game’s top individual award. The humble hero paid tribute to his parents, wife, kids and even his big brother as he fought back tears to collect the coveted trophy.
The huge grin on goal king Harry Kane‘s face said it all as the England captain officially became the best player in the world – and is hotly tipped to become ‘Sir Harry’.
The 33-year-old hero beat superstars Kylian Mbappe, of France and Lamine Yamal, of Spain, to collect the game’s top individual award – the Ballon D’Or.
Flanked by an army of supporters keen to grab the moment of triumph on their phones, Kane proudly held the trophy aloft as he celebrated his incredible achievement
And the humble hero paid tribute to his devoted parents, his wife and kids and even his brother as he was awarded the coveted Ballon d’Or trophy at the London Palladium.
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It was the first time an Englishman had won in 25 years after Michael Owen in 2001. Kane, 33, celebrated into the early hours of the morning with his parents Pat and Kim, his brother Charlie and his wife Kate.
Accepting his prize from Brazilian legend Ronaldo, he said: “My brother Charlie is here. I know you tell me that I got your ability as a footballer so I appreciate that. To have the love and support from an older brother means the world to me.
“To my children at home watching, it is a bit later than we thought but to Ivy, Henry, Vivienne and Louis, I cannot wait to see you. Kate, my best friend, you are my biggest supporter, here we are now, we’ve done it.”
He fought back tears as he added: “Mum and dad – all those years, the sacrifice, following me all around the world, even to this day, you are there for me.”
He told young boys and girls that ‘anything was possible’ with hard work, and admitted that he had to ‘fight his way to be the very best’.
England team mates Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, and legends Steve Gerrard and Wayne Rooney were among the first to send congratulations.
Downing Street hinted at a knighthood. A spokeswoman for No 10 said: “To be the first Englishman to win it in 25 years is an extraordinary achievement, and what a moment to do it here at home.
“Seventy years after Sir Stanley Matthews won the inaugural award, it caps a remarkable season and Harry continues to set a brilliant example to young players across the country, and the PM knows the whole nation will be incredibly proud of him. And, hopefully, there’s another trophy to celebrate with England before too long.”
The spokeswoman was also asked whether the Prime Minister would like to see the player knighted, adding: “On your question about a knighthood, I think everyone would agree, Harry Kane has given an enormous amount to English football, and this is a very special moment for him and the country, but, as ever, I’m not going to pre-empt the honours process.”
Kane was born in Leytonstone, London, before moving to Chigwell, Essex, where he played for the same junior team, Ridgeway Rovers, as his childhood hero David Beckham.
David Bricknell, who coached Kane for Ridgeway under-7s, said: “He is the perfect role model for any kid coming into the game. He is an absolute credit to his parents. I saw him three weeks ago and he gave me a big hug and asked about my family. He kept the England coach waiting. He has never forgotten his roots.”
Kane paid tribute to his former coach at Spurs, Chris Ramsey, in his acceptance speech. “It does not surprise me that he has won, he was hands down the best player,” said Chris.
“He has had an unbelievable season. He will look back with his grandchildren in the years to come to see the players he beat to this award. He never stopped believing, when lots of people did not believe in him. I am so proud. People can knock the way he speaks, but it is the content of what he says that counts.”
A stunning 2025-26 campaign saw Kane score 73 goals for club and country. He won two trophies with Bayern Munich and led England to third place at the World Cup.
He followed in the footsteps of Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, and Kevin Keegan to win the award and listed the “sacrifices, saunas, ice baths.”
He admitted: “Even now, I am thinking if I can win it again.” England boss Thomas Tuchel said: “I ran out of superlatives to describe your performances a long time ago.”
Kane is England’s top goalscorer with 91 goals. He has 125 England caps, joint-highest with Peter Shilton.
England legend Alan Shearer said Kane was humble despite his superstar status, adding: “You see footballers walking down the red carpet and some of them are in sunglasses when it’s pitch black. Harry is just normal, as normal as they come.”
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