India's batting superstar Virat Kohli penned an emotional congratulatory post on X on October 27, 2026, addressed to Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who had claimed the 2026 Ballon d'Or the previous evening. Kohli referred to Kane as his friend and expressed genuine delight at the achievement, with the two sharing a well-known bond across their respective sports.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony took place at the London Palladium on October 26, 2026. Kane beat Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to lift the award, with Lionel Messi finishing fifth in the final rankings. The victory made Kane the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or in 25 years, a distinction last held by Michael Owen in 2001.

"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 👏❤️ @HKane," wrote Virat Kohli on X.

Why did Harry Kane win the 2026 Ballon d'Or?

Kane's 2025-26 campaign at Bayern Munich was outstanding by any standard. The England striker scored 73 goals for club and country across the season, surpassing several goal-scoring records at club level in the process. That remarkable tally, combined with his consistency throughout the campaign, placed him ahead of Mbappé and Yamal in the final Ballon d'Or vote.

The award also carried significant historical weight. No English player had won the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen claimed it in 2001, making Kane's triumph a landmark moment for English football after a 25-year wait. The ceremony at the London Palladium on October 26, 2026 brought that long wait to a close, with Kane collecting the prize in front of a global audience.

What is the bond between Virat Kohli and Harry Kane?

Kohli's message was notably personal in tone, addressing Kane directly as a friend and speaking about his journey with warmth and admiration. The Indian batter praised not just Kane's on-field output but the manner in which the Bayern Munich striker has conducted himself throughout his career, highlighting resilience, hard work, and honesty as the qualities that make the award fully deserved.

Kane and Kohli are known to share a great bond, and the directness of the post on X reflected a genuine personal connection that extends well beyond the boundaries of their respective sports. Kohli's willingness to publicly celebrate Kane's achievement underlined the mutual respect between the two athletes, each regarded among the finest in their own field during their generation.