Tuchel congratulated Kane on winning the 2026 Ballon d'Or and said England was lucky

England national team head coach Thomas Tuchel reacted to Harry Kane winning the 2026 Golden Ball. The coach congratulated the national team captain on the award and noted, “We’re very lucky.”

 

The coach praised the striker’s performances and called his victory well-deserved.

The 33-year-old Bayern Munich forward edged out Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal in the race for the prestigious individual award. Over the course of the season, Kane scored 73 goals for his club and the national team.

The Englishman became the first player from his country in 25 years to win the Ballon d’Or. Michael Owen was the last to win the award in 2001.

In the 2026 season, Kane also helped the English national team finish third at the World Cup. Tuchel’s team lost to Argentina in the semifinals, then defeated France in the bronze medal match.

In a comment quoted by The Independent, Tuchel congratulated his player on the award.

“Congratulations to Harry on his well-deserved Ballon d’Or win! I’ve long since run out of words to describe his incredible performances, but I’m glad that the soccer world has now officially recognized his achievements. The fact that he is the first Englishman in 25 years to win this prestigious award makes the victory even more special. We are very lucky to have a captain like him. I’m sure Harry will enjoy this moment with his loved ones and then get back to what he does best—scoring goals and winning matches,” Tuchel said, according to The Independent.

As a reminder, Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career.

Earlier, France Football magazine released a list of 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

At the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, United Kingdom, Alexia Putellas of the London City Lionesses won the award for the 2025–2026 season for the third time in her career. Polish soccer player Eva Pajór of Barcelona took second place.