Kane: Tottenham behind my Ballon d'Or dream, and this is my message to Tuchel
A long journey towards glory
Bayern Munich star Harry Kane has thanked Tottenham for helping him achieve his dreams, and also praised his England team-mates, after becoming the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or in 25 years.
The Bayern Munich striker edged out Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to claim the biggest individual prize in world football. The ceremony took place in London last Monday, and Kane became the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.
Having joined Tottenham at the age of eleven before his move to Bayern Munich in 2023, Kane reserved special praise for his former club during his speech after receiving the award.
Kane said: "I want to say thank you to Tottenham Hotspur. Of course, I would not be where I am today without Tottenham."
He added: "I was there from when I was 11 years old, and thanks to all the guidance and the coaches, I was given the chance to achieve my dream."
He continued: "Of course, without all those moments we lived together, with all the ups and downs the journey went through, I would not have reached this moment today. So I just want to say thank you to Tottenham Hotspur."
He singled out several of the coaches who helped him at Tottenham, among them Chris Ramsey, Tim Sherwood and Ryan Mason, whom he described as one of his closest friends.
The 33-year-old, who led England to third place at the 2026 World Cup, also praised his national team team-mates during a long, emotional speech.
He said: "To all my England team-mates, it has been a special year. It was not a perfect year, but we lived through a lot of good moments."
He added: "We built a strong bond between us, and we enjoyed a great team spirit, both in the way we played and in how we stuck together. It is a real honour to play alongside you and to be your captain."
He continued: "This award is definitely for all of us."
Praise for coach Thomas Tuchel followed. Kane said: "To Thomas Tuchel and the backroom staff, I thank you for leading us, and for the way you push us forward and raise the standards of performance. It is an honour for me to represent you."
Turning to his family, Kane went on: "To my wife Kate, my best friend, we have been through ups and downs together. You are my biggest supporter, and I felt you wanted this award more than I did."
He added: "The anxious wait has been long, but here we are, we have done it. You always want the best for me, and you sacrifice yourself to help me achieve my dreams. This achievement would not have been possible without you, and it is something we can celebrate together, not my achievement alone. We are one team, and I cannot wait to celebrate tonight. I love you."
He signed off with a message to his children: "My children watching me at home, it is definitely past your bedtime! To Ivy, Vivienne, Louis and Henry, you are the reason behind everything I do. This is a special award, and I cannot wait to bring it home and celebrate with you. I love you so much."
