Ballon d'Or 2026 reaction: HRH Prince William salutes ‘remarkable’ Harry Kane for winning award as Guti, Samir Nasri question result
By Becky Hart
Updated 27/10/2026 at 14:12 GMT
HRH Prince William was quick to react to Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or, calling the England captain "brilliant" on social media. Tottenham Hotspur also paid tribute to their former player after a historic night for British football.
'Beyond my wildest dreams' - Kane becomes first English men's Ballon d'Or winner in 25 years
Video credit: SNTV
His victory came on the back of a remarkable season where he scored 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern Munich.
The tributes were swift to pour in for the England captain, with football fan Prince William keen to pass on his congratulations.
"What a fantastic achievement and so deserved," he wrote on Instagram.
"A brilliant captain, a remarkable player and someone who has given football fans across the world so many unforgettable moments."
Kane’s former club Tottenham Hotspur added that his victory was "a legacy built in the Spurs academy," and that he was "forever one of our own", while his current club Bayern Munich opted for a simple "London has a new king tonight".
The tributes kept coming from the world of football, with Kane the first British player to win the award since 2001 and only the fifth ever after Sir Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979), and Michael Owen (2001).
"You won this award because you were just f****** brilliant," said former Bayern legend Thomas Muller, before adding that Kane needed to "win some championships for my Bayern Munich."
England Football kept their tribute simple, posting that Kane was "the best player in the world".
England's manager Thomas Tuchel was in agreement, stating that he "ran out of superlatives to describe your performances a long time ago."
"I'm delighted to see that you have now been formally recognised by the football world.
"To become the first Englishman to win this huge honour in 25 years makes it extra special, and we are lucky to have you as our leader.
"I know you will enjoy this moment with your loved ones and then get back to doing what you do best - scoring goals and winning football matches."
It was not just the world of football that was watching last night’s awards - with Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli also sending his congratulations.
"Harry my friend, you deserve every bit of this award for your resilience, hard work and honesty with which you’ve carried yourself through all these years playing football at the top,” Kohli wrote on social media.
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"Really happy for you. God bless you and your family. They must all be very proud of you as you would be of your own journey. My best wishes always. Congratulations."
England team-mate James Maddison posted a photo on Instagram alongside Kane and called him the "best in the world".
Guti and Nasri less impressed with decision
Kane beat Mbappe and Yamal to the top prize, with the latter taking home the men’s young talent of the year at least.
But not everyone was pleased with the result - with former Real Madrid star Guti one of the most outspoken on Kane's win.
"It’s quite a coincidence that they’re bringing the 70th anniversary Ballon d'Or to London and that someone from London wins it. What a coincidence, right?” he told Spanish TV show El Chiringuito de Jugones.
"It’s an incredible coincidence. Lamine and Mbappe deserve it more. You only have to see Kane’s face when they call his name. He never imagined he'd win the Ballon d'Or.
"He thought Lamine and Mbappe would be ahead of him. You don’t make that face if you win the Ballon d'Or and think you deserve it."
It was one of the closest fights in history according to Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of award organiser France Football.
"The gap was even smaller than the one between Rodri and Vinicius in 2024, which was 41 points, and that was already a slim margin. Mbappe led the race for a long time, but Kane ultimately came out on top," he said.
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In such a tight competition, it was no surprise that many were left disappointed that their player did not come out on top - although the level of surprise at the final decision certainly seemed less pronounced that in 2024, when Rodri’s win prompted a Real Madrid boycott of the awards.
Yamal’s uncle was one person who did not agree with Kane’s victory and told Spanish radio: "Very sad...If you like football, you're going to watch Lamine, not Harry Kane.”
"It seems like because he's young and has many years left...they have to give it to Kane as a gift.”
Former Manchester City player Samir Nasri was another left moderately unimpressed by the decision.
"Harry Kane, Ballon d'Or...OK, the statistics made the difference," he said.
"He's a fantastic player with so many qualities. But he's never been the player who carried his team somewhere or made his team win in the very big matches.
”There's often a slight weakness. But he's an extraordinary player."
Social media reaction to Kane's triumph
Plenty of clubs were quick to congratulate Kane, including Tottenham, where he plied his trade for so long. The Premier League also paid tribute to a man who competed in their competition for season after season before making the move to Germany.
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