Harry Kane does not want to campaign for himself. Around him, however, support is starting to build.
The Ballon d'Or is the biggest individual honour there is. But it's not up to me.
The Bayern striker summed up his position cautiously. He believes he has done everything he could on the pitch and now leaves the choice to the voters. It would obviously be incredible to win the trophy, he also admitted.
Bayern Munich, for their part, are not staying silent. The German club is openly pushing their number 9's candidacy, while several figures from English and German football are also defending his case. Lothar Matthäus notably placed Kane among the very top candidates for the trophy.
Michael Owen has also been very complimentary about his compatriot. The former English Ballon d'Or winner considers Kane a serious candidate after an exceptional season with Bayern and a successful World Cup.
Numbers that speak for themselves
Kane's case rests first and foremost on exceptional offensive output.
- 61 goals in 51 matches with Bayern Munich, across all competitions
- 36 goals in the Bundesliga, 14 in the Champions League, 10 in the German Cup and 1 in the German Super Cup
- Bundesliga top scorer
- Bundesliga and German Cup winner
With England, his tally brings his season total to 73 goals for club and country. At the 2026 World Cup, Kane scored six goals in seven appearances and led the Three Lions to third place.
The problem, then, is not individual output. It lies elsewhere.
Two missed appointments
Bayern were eliminated in the Champions League semi-final by PSG. England suffered the same fate at the World Cup, beaten by Argentina at the same stage.
Kane therefore won the main domestic trophies with Bayern, but reached neither the European final nor the World Cup final.
And this is where the competition becomes particularly interesting.
Lamine Yamal became world champion with Spain, while already having delivered a major season with FC Barcelona. His case therefore combines individual performances with a World Cup trophy.
Kylian Mbappé also has considerable arguments in his favour. The Frenchman finished as the 2026 World Cup's top scorer with 10 goals and won the Golden Boot. He also became the World Cup's all-time top scorer with 22 goals. His main handicap remains the lack of a collective trophy with Real Madrid this season.
Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d'Or holder, also retains a credible case thanks to a new Champions League title won with PSG. His World Cup with France, however, ended in fourth place.
Can Kane go all the way?
This is precisely what makes this edition particularly open.
Kane may have the best statistical record of his career: 61 goals with Bayern, 73 for club and country, two major domestic trophies and six goals at the World Cup.
But Mbappé has the World Cup Golden Boot and the all-time World Cup scoring record. Yamal has the world title. Dembélé arrives as the reigning trophy holder with a new Champions League title.
No case is perfect. And that may be exactly what makes Kane's candidacy so credible.
The list of 30 nominees is due to be unveiled in early September. The Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on 26 October in London, a first for this award traditionally held in Paris.
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