“… I’m out of words”!Thomas Tuchel has sent his congratulations to England captain Harry Kane after the striker was crowned Ballon d’Or winner for 2026, admitting he ran out of words long ago to describe the levels his skipper is producing.The Bayern Munich forward finished ahead of Spain’s Lamine Yamal and France’s Kylian Mbappé to claim football’s most prestigious individual award, capping an exceptional season in which he scored 73 goals for club and country.Kane, 33, becomes the first English player to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001. That ends a 25-year wait.His crowning caps a remarkable year. The England captain led his country to the World Cup semi-finals under Tuchel, before losing to Argentina.Read also: Barcelona impose their dominance on the women’s awards: Putellas crowned with the 2026 Ballon d’OrDefeat in the semis didn’t derail the campaign. England finished third, beating France in the play-off to record their best World Cup showing since they lifted the title in 1966.Tuchel’s message of congratulations to Kane, carried by the “Independent” newspaper, read: “Congratulations Harry on a deserved Ballon d’Or win! I ran out of words to describe your performances a long time ago, but I am delighted to see the football world officially recognise you now.”He added: “To become the first Englishman to win this great honour in 25 years makes it even more special, and we are lucky to have you as our captain.”The England boss signed off: “I know you will enjoy this moment with your loved ones, and then you will return to doing what you do best of all: scoring goals and winning matches.”Read also: Wembley adorned with gold: Kane reveals who he is dedicating the Ballon d’Or to
