French football stars Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele have been accused of showing disrespect towards Harry Kane after they failed to stand and shake his hand before he was crowned the world’s best footballer at Monday night’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Kane, known for his understated approach, posted after the ceremony: ‘Work hard in silence. Let success be your noise.’ Real Madrid striker Mbappe, however, had confidently backed his own chances beforehand, saying: ‘I always think I’m the best [player in the world] but everyone has their own opinion. Maybe it’s a good year for this.’
Footage from the London Palladium appears to show 33-year-old Kane greeting Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain forward Dembele inside the theatre, while neither player gives him much attention.
Both Frenchmen remain seated as Kane crouches down to shake their hands. Mbappe, in particular, appears to be looking away until Kane makes an effort to catch his eye.
Kane ultimately claimed the Ballon d’Or, edging Mbappe by fewer than 41 points. The margin was even narrower than the previous closest contest, which saw Rodri beat Vinicius Jnr in 2024, according to the director of the Ballon d’Or organisation. In 2025, Dembele won by 321 points ahead of the runner-up. A complete breakdown of the voting is not expected until Saturday, October 31.
Video from the ceremony also shows Mbappe remaining in his seat rather than standing to applaud when Kane was announced as the winner.
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele both failed to stand to shake Harry Kane’s hand at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday night. Source: X/Kyks98
Mbappe is seen with Kane and Barcelona superstar Rodri at Monday’s ceremony
Dembele, who won the award last year, finished seventh in the voting. He was placed behind third-placed Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Lionel Messi and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
French broadcaster RMC reported that tensions had emerged among several players, including Dembele. He was reportedly kept waiting at his hotel for an hour before leaving for the Palladium, where there were no refreshments or barriers in place when he arrived. The ceremony itself was also delayed.
Dembele later complained that he had been forced to wait 30 minutes to leave the venue because vans and buses could not reach the red carpet to collect VIP guests.
Kane’s England team-mate Jude Bellingham, who also plays with Mbappe at Real Madrid, offered a warmer reaction to the newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner. He wrote on Instagram: ‘Congratulations skip!’ alongside a love-heart and goat emoji.
Following the ceremony, Kane made his way to Cirque le Soir in Soho, where wife Kate Goodland and his parents, Patrick and Kim, joined the celebrations for his historic achievement.
Still wearing the tuxedo he had put on for the glamorous London Palladium event, Kane was filmed dancing at the back of the packed venue. Champagne bottles topped with sparklers were carried across the dance floor as friends and family celebrated his victory.
The Bayern Munich striker appeared to remain cautious with his drinking, taking it easier than many of those around him. He had worn a spectacular £1million Rolex Daytona at the ceremony and continued to look composed during the nightclub celebrations.
Kane raised his shot glass of champagne to the friends and family celebrating his Ballon d’Or win in Cirque le Soir in Soho on Monday night as the afterparty took off
Harry Kane and his wife Kate Goodland shared a kiss after he won the striker award (left) and Ballon d’Or (right) on Monday night
Kane is due back in Bayern Munich training today and appeared determined to keep his celebrations measured, sticking to small amounts of alcohol despite the biggest individual triumph of his career.
The London ceremony brought a chaotic night for football’s most prestigious individual award to a close. Before the event had even started, the official website had published profiles naming at least three different players as winners, with separate articles declaring Kane, Mbappe and Yamal victorious.
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The organisers said: ‘Portraits of some Ballon d’Or nominees, prepared by Ballondor.com, were inadvertently published online. These articles had been written in advance for each of the nominees, in the event of a victory.
‘They reveal nothing about the podium, which remains, to this day, unknown to everyone.’
In France, there are suggestions that Champions League winners PSG, Dembele’s club, sabotaged themselves by failing to orchestrate a voting bloc for one player.
Dembele, Kvaratskhelia, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, Ferran Torres, Joao Neves, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes and Marquinhos all ranked in the final top 30 list.
England captain Kane plants a kiss on the trophy after being crowned the world’s best player
Kane wore a rare Rolex Daytona – said to be worth around £1m – at the ceremony
Jude Bellingham, who plays alongside Mbappe at Real Madrid, sent a classy message
England captain Kane, often hailed for his humble attitude, used a 12-minute winner’s speech to thank a long list of people from his life and career – right from his former Leyton Orient manager Russell Slade to current boss Vincent Kompany and his wife Kate.
‘Wow. Wow, wow, wow,’ Kane said. ‘First of all… I’m almost speechless. Luckily I have this list here!
‘Thank you again to France Football, for the Ballon d’Or, for putting on this amazing event. Being here in London as well has made it extra special. It looked like a good omen today, so thank you very much.
‘Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I can imagine it was very tough this year, some of the incredible players I was up against. Some of my team-mates and some of the world-class players that are in the room tonight.’
He later added: ‘I want to give out a shout out to some of my coaches who have helped me along the way. If I’ve forgotten anyone, I’m really sorry.
‘Bradley Allen, Chris Ramsey, John McDermott, Alex Inglethorpe, Tim Sherwood. Ryan Mason, Kenny Jackett, Russell Slade, Harry Redknapp, Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte. Roy Hodgson, Gareth Southgate and, of course, my two managers Vinnie and Thomas (Tuchel) now.
‘All of you have played a big role in my development, all at different stages in my life. Without each and every one of you, I wouldn’t be standing here today. For sure, I learned lots, and when you surround yourself with the best people, the best coaches, it only enhances you as a person and a player.’
Kane is the first English winner of the Ballon d’Or in 25 years – since Michael Owen was crowned the world’s best footballer in 2001.
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