Can Kane buck history and win Ballon d'Or?
September 7, 2026 16:03
With the Ballon d'Or shortlist due to be published on Tuesday, Harry Kane is the bookmakers' favourite after an exceptionally prolific campaign for club and country. He scored 73 goals in 2025–26 — 61 for Bayern Munich and 12 for England — as Bayern secured the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal and England finished third at the World Cup.
Kane has never ranked higher than 10th in previous Ballon d'Or voting. He faces rivals including Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham as journalists from around the world prepare to cast their ballots.
KEY CONTEXT
The Ballon d'Or was created in 1956 and was originally limited to European players until eligibility was widened in 1995. An international jury of specialist football journalists — one representative per country from the men's top 100 — decides the award each year.
Across the award's history, performances in major international tournaments have strongly influenced voting outcomes. World Cup-winning players such as Bobby Charlton, Paolo Rossi, Lothar Matthaus, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Fabio Cannavaro received the award in years when they lifted the trophy.
World Cup success has not always been necessary. Kevin Keegan won in 1978 despite England failing to qualify, while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have also won editions without claiming one of the major international or continental trophies highlighted in the source.
Kane's case is built on an exceptional individual season. According to the BBC report, he scored 73 goals for club and country in 2025-26, including 61 for Bayern Munich and 12 for England. Bayern won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, while England finished third at the World Cup. Bayern's Champions League campaign ended in the semi-finals.
The same report identifies other contenders, including Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, whose international performances and team achievements could influence the journalists' votes.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
The Ballon d'Or shortlist and subsequent voting will show how journalists weigh Kane's scoring record against achievements in major competitions. The outcome remains undecided in the source report.
Source: BBC Sport Football