Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or, and Prince William sends congratulations

Harry Kane has won the men's 2026 Ballon d'Or, the annual award for the world's best male footballer. The prize was presented on Monday night, 26 October, at London's Palladium Stadium.

Kane is the first English winner since Michael Owen took the award in 2001, a gap of 25 years. He beat Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the top place. Hello Magazine reports that Kane scored 73 goals for club and country over the past year, playing for Bayern Munich and England. Bayern also won the Bundesliga, Germany's top league, in the 2025-26 season.

In his acceptance speech, Kane thanked his wife, Katie Goodland. Earlier this autumn, he told Reuters that the 2025-26 campaign was the best season of his life. He also said he was proud of what he had achieved and was not dwelling on the award before the ceremony.

The Prince of Wales was among the first to respond. Prince William is Patron of the Football Association, the sport's governing body in England, a largely ceremonial role he took on after serving as its President for 18 years until July 2024. He shared a message on Instagram praising Kane's "fantastic achievement."

The full message read: "Huge congratulations to Harry Kane on winning the Ballon d'Or! What a fantastic achievement and so deserved." He added: "A brilliant captain, a remarkable player and someone who has given football fans across the world so many unforgettable moments." The message was signed with a single letter, "W".

Prince William also reposted England's official post announcing the result. It read: "The best player in the world. Our 2026 Ballon d'Or winner: HARRY KANE."

For England supporters, the win ends a long wait for a home winner. Kane now holds one of football's best-known individual honours, and the message from the Football Association's patron put that milestone in public view.