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London wildly celebrated last night as one of their own, Harry Kane, won the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or.
Outside the iconic London Palladium fans chanted his name all evening, and were delighted when the 33-year-old emerged post-press conference, proudly holding aloft the Golden Ball.
Surrounded by his friends and family, England’s captain raised his award several times to deafening cheers.
Some supporters had climbed high to see their victor, waving from balconies and even lamp posts.
Kane is England’s first Ballon d’Or champion since Michael Owen, 25 years ago, and the player could not contain a broad beam on receiving the honour inside the auditorium, presented by one of his striking heroes, the legendary Ronaldo Nazario.
Then, it was onto the press conference, where the Bayern Munich star – scorer of a remarkable 73 goals for club and country across 2025/26 – showed typical humility in his brightest individual moment.
He spoke of playing football with his brother, Charlie, in the park when they were children and offered up a quote that resonated among English journalists who have followed his journey since the early days of loan spells at Leyton Orient and Leicester City.
“Work hard in silence and let the success make the noise”
He also noted how perfect the evening was, not only representing a career zenith for a player who has experienced many, but for it to be held on home soil, a mere five miles from where he grew up.
This morning Prince William has added to the nationwide acclaim, saying…
"Huge congratulations to Harry Kane on winning the Ballon d'Or! What a fantastic achievement and so deserved.
A brilliant captain, a remarkable player and someone who has given football fans across the world so many unforgettable moments."
Beyond Kane’s famous victory last night, Alexia Putellas became a three-time champion, as too did Lamine Yamal in the Best Young Talent category. Read all about the reactions to an unforgettable night here on ballondor.com
