'You Deserve Every Bit': Virat Kohli pens Heartfelt message for 'Friend' Harry Kane after Ballon d'Or Crown

India stalwart Virat Kohli has penned a touching message on social media congratulating Harry Kane after the latter won the Ballon d'Or 2026 award on Monday (October 26).

Harry Kane won the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or, becoming the first English footballer since Michael Owen in 2001 to claim football's most prestigious individual honour. The Bayern Munich striker received the award at the 70th edition of the ceremony at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, beating Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the coveted prize.

Kane enjoyed a phenomenal 2025-26 campaign, scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country, including 61 goals for Bayern Munich and 12 for England. His remarkable scoring record, combined with his contribution to Bayern's trophy-winning season and England's World Cup campaign, helped him secure the award.

The 33-year-old played a decisive role in Bayern's domestic success, helping the German giants win the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. He also finished as the Bundesliga's leading scorer for the third consecutive season and registered 14 goals in the Champions League as Bayern reached the semi-finals.

And on Tuesday (October 27), Kohli took to social media to send a congratulatory message to the England captain.

"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. 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," Kohli wrote on X.

Kane's achievement ends a 25-year wait for England, with Owen having been the country's most recent winner in 2001. He joins an illustrious group of English Ballon d'Or winners that includes Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan, who won the award twice.