José Mourinho has affirmed that Harry Kane fully deserved his 2026 Ballon d’Or victory, while expressing bewilderment at Jude Bellingham’s final ranking and singling out Kylian Mbappé with extraordinary praise regarding his stature in World Cup history.
The Portuguese manager’s remarks followed the Bayern Munich striker’s inaugural Ballon d’Or triumph at a ceremony held in London, where the Englishman finished ahead of Mbappé and Lamine Yamal.
Speaking about the forward he previously coached at Tottenham Hotspur, Mourinho said: “Harry Kane is a great player, and to be completely honest, I am extremely happy for him.”
He added: “He deserves the Ballon d’Or; it is the cherry on the cake of his career,” celebrating the England captain’s crowning moment following a phenomenal season in which he scored 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country.
Addressing Bellingham’s absence from the top ten, Mourinho remarked: “Jude Bellingham finishing 11th in the Ballon d’Or left me speechless. Honestly, no comment.”
The Portuguese strategist then turned his attention to Mbappé, stating: “Mbappé is Mbappé; he is unique. We have a Ballon d’Or every single year, but there is only one greatest player in World Cup history.”
Kane secured the prestigious accolade by accumulating 1,055 points, narrowly edging out Mbappé (1,027 points) by a margin of just 28 points, while Yamal finished third with 881 points. The second-place finish represents the highest ranking of the French star’s career in the award’s history.
Kane’s victory came on the heels of a domestic treble with Bayern Munich—winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and DFL-Supercup—alongside leading England to a third-place finish at the World Cup, making him the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.
