Ballon d'Or: Thomas Meunier's partner defends Harry Kane's wife against appearance criticism

Katie Goodland faced online abuse over her appearance after Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or win; Thomas Meunier's partner defended her on Instagram.

Harry Kane paid an emotional tribute to his wife Katie Goodland during his Ballon d'Or acceptance speech on Monday at London's Palladium, thanking her for her support and sacrifice. "Nothing of this would have been possible without you," Kane said of the mother of their four children, whom he met at school in London.

However, the touching moment was followed by cruel social media commentary criticizing Goodland's appearance, with some users suggesting Kane could be with a woman matching conventional "WAG" standards. Deborah Panzokou, partner of Belgian defender Thomas Meunier, responded angrily on Instagram, condemning the hypocrisy and cruelty of online critics who attack women regardless of their appearance or circumstances. "Education minimum," she concluded.

This is not the first time Goodland has faced such attacks. Kane previously defended her publicly, describing her as "funny, kind and beautiful" and criticizing how easily people use social platforms to insult others without consequence.