WATCH: Harry Kane Names Virat Kohli Among Icons Who Left Him Starstruck After His Ballon d'Or Win

After winning the Ballon d'Or, Harry Kane named Virat Kohli among the sporting icons whose messages he received, alongside David Beckham and Tom Brady. Kane said he admired them, prompting Indian cricket fans to celebrate Kohli's global sporting stature.

The England and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane mentioned former India captain and batting legend Virat Kohli’s name as one of the sporting icons who left him starstruck after winning a historic Ballon d’Or.

England captain Harry Kane, who won a bronze medal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, emerged as the winner of the prestigious football award on October 26. The 33-year-old defeated Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal to claim football's ultimate individual honour.

Kane enjoyed a monumental campaign for Bayern Munich and England, scoring a staggering 73 goals across 65 total appearances in the last season. In doing so, Harry Kane became the first English footballer to win the Ballon d'Or in 25 years, succeeding Michael Owen, who last lifted the Golden Ball in 2001.

‘The Sports People I Admire’

Speaking at the press conference ahead of Bayern Munich’s away Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid, Harry Kane was asked which congratulatory message had left him the most starstruck following his historic award win.

Responding to the query, Kane stated that he was not starstruck but rather extremely grateful to receive messages from athletes he deeply admires across global sports, including his childhood icon David Beckham, American footballer Tom Brady, Indian batting star Virat Kohli, alongside his ‘good friend’ Ed Sheeran.

“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,” the 34-year-old said.

“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," he added.

Virat Kohli mentioned 💁‍♂️ https://t.co/B9A5GwbFxG

— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) November 3, 2026

Virat Kohli was one of the sporting stars who tweeted on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle following the announcement, calling him ‘my friend’ and praising his resilience and dedication to the sport over the years.

Kohli's Name Alongside Beckham and Brady Wins Praise

Harry Kane's mention of Virat Kohli alongside David Beckham and Tom Brady sparked praise from Indian cricket fans on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter), celebrating the former India captain's global sporting recognition.

Taking to their X handles, many fans hailed Kohli as a global sporting icon, with one user saying he was a ‘global superstar without a doubt’, while others noted that his name alongside Beckham and Brady reflected his global sporting legacy, and some described him as a “global phenomenon” and celebrated his recognition beyond cricket.

Another section of fans also praised Kane for acknowledging Kohli, with some calling the England captain a fan of the Indian batting legend and describing the mention as one global sporting icon recognising another.

@mufaddal_vohra VIRAT is Global Icon, Global Superstar without a Doubt bro ♥️♥️

— 𝑨𝒃𝒉𝒊ńàv 𝟙𝟠 👑 (@A5rlw) November 3, 2026

@mufaddal_vohra Virat Kohli sharing that list with Beckham and Tom Brady speaks volumes about his global sporting legacy. 👑

— Official Boundaries (@BoundariesLive) November 3, 2026

@mufaddal_vohra Virat Kohli the global icon 👑

— tukyaa25 (@BukkaTanmay) November 3, 2026

Virat is Goat like he is the biggest star in cricket ofcourse other big sportsmen notice him

— ꕤ 𓋜sanj love tae (@caducestae) November 3, 2026

🤩 VIRAT KOHLI MADE THE LIST! 👑

Harry Kane revealed that messages from David Beckham, Tom Brady and Virat Kohli left him starstruck!

Three sporting icons he deeply admires! ❤️🔥 https://t.co/oEItLkEIxx

— Cricket Mindset (@CricketMindset) November 3, 2026

@Melbourne__82 Goat recognising goat 🐐

— reid (@reidsatoshi) November 3, 2026

Outside India, Kohli's name is mentioned alongside Ronaldo, Messi, LeBron James, Novak Djokovic, Tom Brady, Sir Viv Richards and many others. It's just the nostalgia merchants and the dehati audience in India who keep comparing Kohli to their third-class favourite cricketers.

— Gaurav (@Melbourne__82) November 3, 2026

And some n*ggas in India still think Virat needs PR. The man is a global phenomenon in his own right.

— Shivam 🚩 (@lostoperative) November 3, 2026

This video is proof of how big a global icon Virat Kohli is in the world of sports. And I'm not just talking about cricket, even top footballers and MMA fighters know him and talk about him 👑 https://t.co/5px0dt90Uf

— Sickular Circus (@sickularcircus) November 3, 2026

@CricCrazyJohns King Kohli, Asia's biggest celebrity for a reason.

— M.P (@Peak_Kohli18) November 3, 2026

Football ballon'd 2026 winner Harry kane @HKane mentioning virat kohli @imVkohli

King the global star

Game recognises game 🗿❤️‍🔥..... https://t.co/3SE5rODUXb

— CricPulse🇮🇳 (@saipraneeth2503) November 3, 2026

Harry Kane is also a proper Kohli fanboy https://t.co/lkWZfWMbV0

— Kohlity (@ConquerorKohli_) November 3, 2026

KING KOHLI - THE GLOBAL ICON. 🐐

- Harry Kane mentioned Virat Kohli's congratulatory message.❤️ (Cricinfo). https://t.co/2Z9Glet1eE

— CricGlobal (@CricGlobal000) November 3, 2026

@ImTanujSingh King Kohli for a reason 👑 https://t.co/tXXR3sovGp

— Rakesh Sharma (@iamrkRakesh) November 3, 2026

THIS is what a global icon looks like🐐

Hakla could never. https://t.co/RzzGoOLjZl

— Suharth (@suharth9) November 3, 2026

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is currently part of the India ODI squad for the five-match series against New Zealand.