Harry Kane thanks Tottenham after winning Ballon d'Or

Harry Kane has won the Ballon d'Or and used his acceptance speech to pay tribute to Tottenham Hotspur, the club where he came through the ranks and became record goalscorer before his move away.

The Evening Standard reports that the award was presented at a delayed, star-studded ceremony at the London Palladium, with Kane beating competition from the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the prize (Evening Standard). Football.London adds that Kane has become the first English winner of the Ballon d'Or in 25 years, underlining just how significant the achievement is (Football.London).

All three outlets focus on the emotional nature of Kane's speech and his words for Tottenham. Spurs Web details what Kane actually said about the club during his acceptance, framing it as a heartfelt nod to his boyhood club given he came through the Spurs academy before becoming the club's all-time leading scorer (Spurs Web). Football.London similarly describes the speech as emotional, with Tottenham a central part of his remarks as he reflected on his journey (Football.London).

There is clear agreement across the Evening Standard, Spurs Web and Football.London that this is a landmark moment for Kane personally and that Tottenham featured prominently in how he chose to mark it (Evening Standard) (Spurs Web) (Football.London). None of the reports suggest any tension in his words - quite the opposite, with the coverage pointing to gratitude and warmth towards the club that developed him.

For Spurs supporters, it's a proud moment to see one of their own, and the club's record goalscorer, crowned the best footballer in the world and taking the time to acknowledge where it all started. It's the kind of story that will be talked about around N17 for a good while yet, even if Kane now plies his trade elsewhere.

Attention at the club itself will soon turn back to matters on the pitch, with Tottenham Women in action away at Bristol City on Wednesday evening before the first team host Crystal Palace at home the following weekend.

Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.