Prince William's message to King Harry! Ballon d'Or winner Kane hailed as a 'brilliant captain and remarkable player' as the tributes flood in for best footballer in the world

Prince William this morning led the public hailing of Harry Kane after the England captain was crowned the world's best footballer at the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday night.

Bayern Munich striker Kane beat Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal of Barcelona to the top prize on the night, ending a 25-year wait for an English winner since Michael Owen in 2001.

And Kane, 33, got royal approval as he hit the summit of world football's personal awards at the Palladium Theatre in London.

'Hug congratulations to Harry Kane on winning the Ballon d'Or!' William wrote in a post on Instagram. '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.'

Kane and the Prince have worked together on mental health campaigns and in William's role as official patron of the FA, which he moved into in July 2024 after serving as president for 18 years. And he was also by Kane's side at one of his lowest moments when England lost the Euro 2024 final against Spain.

But Monday was a joyous moment for the former Leytonstone-born player, who was joined on the red carpet at the Palladium by wife Kate. 'Wow, wow, wow,' he said as he stepped up to accept the trophy.

'I am almost speechless. Being here in London has made it extra special - it made it a good omen for me tonight. Thank you to everyone who voted for me.'

England manager Thomas Tuchel said Kane 'deserved' to be 'formally recognised' for his talent. With 125 caps, Kane is England's record appearance-maker and his 91 goals in those games make him the national team's all-time top goalscorer.

'Congratulations Harry on a deserved Ballon D'Or!' Tuchel said 'I ran out of superlatives to describe your performances a long time ago, but I'm delighted to see that you have now been formally recognised by the football world.

'To become the first Englishman to win this huge honour in 25 years makes it extra special and we are lucky to have you as our leader. I know you will enjoy this moment with your loved ones and then get back to doing what you do best – scoring goals and winning football matches.'

Former England players Wayne Rooney, John Terry and Gary Neville were among Kane's well-wishers on Instagram while former Tottenham strike partner Heung-min Son wrote: '@harrykane deserved more then anyone huge congratulations my partner.'

Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli was quick to say he was 'really happy' for Kane.

'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,' he wrote.

'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.'

Kane's acceptance speech included a loving tribute to his wife Kate. The couple met at Larkswood Primary School in Chingford and have four children together. They lived in London as Kane played at Tottenham until 2023 when the family moved to Germany to support him at Bayern Munich.

'To my wife, Kate, my best friend. We've been through ups and downs for sure. You're my biggest supporter,' Kane said.

'I actually felt like you wanted this more than me myself. The anxious wait for us to find out, I know it's been horrible for you, here it is - we've done it! You always want the best for me, you sacrifice yourself to help me achieve my dreams, and I know they're your dreams as well, so it wouldn't be possible without you.

'This is a trophy that we celebrate, not me. This is me and you, it's all the family, all our close-knit team, so I just want to say thank you, I love you. Can't wait to enjoy this and celebrate tonight for sure. Love you.'

The Kanes later headed to a London nightclub where Harry lifted the trophy among a sea of champagne bottles.