Harry Kane’s first Ballon d’Or gave fresh meaning to a conversation he had with José Mourinho while they worked together at Tottenham. In a post-win interview with L’Équipe, Kane recalled the exchange and credited the coach with helping him develop his game.
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Kane’s tribute to Mourinho
Kane said he remembered the conversation well. Reports of the interview link it to his ambition to reach the level of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and describe Mourinho’s guidance as an important influence on his development.
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The point of Kane’s tribute was not simply that Mourinho encouraged his ambition: he credited the coach with helping him improve as a player. The supplied interview report supports that broad account, but does not establish every additional quotation or detail attributed to Kane elsewhere.
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A close Ballon d’Or result
Kane won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or at the London ceremony, becoming the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001.
1 Sky Sports reported that he scored 73 goals for club and country during the season.
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The vote was tight: ESPN reported a 28-point margin over Kylian Mbappé, while another results report gave Kane 1,055 points to Mbappé’s 1,027.
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8 That closeness helps explain why the result remained a talking point after the ceremony; the available sources do not establish the more specific claim that it was the fourth-closest vote in the award’s history.
Mourinho’s reaction to Kane’s win
Speaking at a press conference on October 31, Mourinho expressed happiness for Kane while acknowledging frustration that Mbappé had finished second.
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13 He also praised the former Tottenham striker as a player, professional and person.
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Mourinho’s response held both sentiments at once: satisfaction for a player he had coached and disappointment for his current Real Madrid forward. The sources support that contrast, without confirming every reported description of Mbappé attributed to him.