Dembélé warmly congratulates Kane after 2026 Ballon d'Or, Mbappé left stunned

Harry Kane won the 2024 Ballon d’Or at the ceremony held in London on Monday evening, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappé by less than 41 points in the final standings. The Bayern Munich striker received his trophy before a gathering of stars, including defending champion Ousmane Dembélé.

Finishing seventh this year — one place behind his PSG teammate Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia — Dembélé was seated near Kane when the winner was announced. As soon as the winner’s name was proclaimed, the French international stood up to offer a warm embrace to the English striker before he took to the stage. Kylian Mbappé, meanwhile, appeared visibly stunned by the announcement.

The moment did not escape Benoît Trémoulinas, a former international and pundit, who chose to comment on it on Tuesday. “What I appreciated was the embrace between Ousmane Dembélé and Harry Kane. This kind of handover where you could feel Ousmane Dembélé was pleased that it was Harry Kane who won it,” he said. He added: “I also felt a lot of respect in that embrace. It’s an image that struck me.”

Trémoulinas refrained from any insinuation about the relationship between Dembélé and Mbappé, the latter having made a public jab at his compatriot during the campaign preceding the vote. The closeness of the verdict between Kane and Mbappé — less than 41 points apart — will nonetheless fuel debate until France Football publishes the detailed official results.