England football captain Harry Kane has revealed that Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli was among the sporting personalities who congratulated him after he won his maiden Ballon d’Or award on October 26. The Bayern Munich striker became the first Englishman to claim football’s biggest individual honour since Michael Owen in 2001.

Kane finished ahead of Kylian MbappeandLamine Yamal in the voting, with the latter winning the men’s young talent award for the third consecutive year. Following his historic achievement, the 32-year-old received congratulatory messages from several prominent figures across different fields, including Kohli, whom he considers a friend.

Harry Kane reveals Virat Kohli was among famous personalities who congratulated him

Speaking ahead of Bayern Munich’s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid, Kane was asked whether any of the messages he received after winning the award had left him star-struck. The England captain initially played down the idea but went on to name several personalities whose messages meant a lot to him. These included former England captain David Beckham, American football legend Tom Brady, Virat Kohli and singer Ed Sheeran, whom he described as a good friend.

“I don’t know about starstruck, but I had a lot of people I look up to message me. People like David Beckham, who was a big idol of mine, Tom Brady, Virat Kohli, a lot of sportspeople I really admire. A good friend of mine, Ed Sheeran, who’s at the top in the music industry, too. I had many, many messages, all of which I was extremely grateful for,” Kane said.

He also admitted that the scale of the response had surprised him, particularly the number of people who reached out to congratulate him despite not having his contact details.

Also READ: Virat Kohli pens heartfelt message for football star Harry Kane after Ballon d’Or 2026 triumph

Kohli shifts focus to India’s upcoming New Zealand ODI series

Meanwhile, Kohli has turned his attention to India’s upcoming five-match ODI series against New Zealand, which begins on November 4 in Auckland, captained by Shubman Gill. The 37-year-old was spotted training at the Cricket Club of India’s Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai before travelling to New Zealand. He also headed straight to the nets after arriving in the country, putting in another lengthy practice session.

Kohli heads into the series in good form, having scored 168 runs in three ODIs against the West Indies in September at an average of 84 and a strike rate of 155.55. The remaining matches will be played in Wellington, Hamilton and Mount Maunganui, with the final two ODIs scheduled at the latter venue.

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