How did Prince William congratulate Harry Kane after winning the 2026 Ballon d'Or?

- Prince William, Crown Prince of Britain and Prince of Wales, congratulated striker Harry Kane after he won the Ballon d'Or award for the best footballer in 2026. Kane won the "Ballon d'Or" award, presented by the French magazine France Football, ahead of 29 players, including Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.

Prince William wrote via the “Story” feature on the Instagram platform, on Tuesday, congratulating Harry Kane: “What a wonderful and very worthy achievement.” He added: "A brilliant leader, an outstanding player, and a person who has given football fans around the world many unforgettable moments."

He also congratulated Kane's former club, Tottenham Hotspur, and posted on his account on the "X" platform a video of the most prominent shots of his former striker, and commented, saying: "A legacy built in the Tottenham Academy will always remain one of us." Bayern Munich also congratulated its current striker, Harry Kane, with the words: “London has a new king tonight.”

German star Thomas Muller said, addressing Kane: “You won this award because you were so great.” Meanwhile, England coach Thomas Tuchel said: “I am pleased to see that you have now been officially recognized by the world of football. Becoming the first Englishman to win this great honor in 25 years makes it very special, and we are fortunate to have you as our captain.”