73 goals and the double: Is Kane’s historic season enough for the Ballon d’Or? | OneFootball

The race for the Ballon d’Or is entering its decisive phase. The prestigious award will be presented in London on October 26—and Harry Kane, a star for FC Bayern, is among the top contenders. The Englishman’s statistics certainly make a strong case.

Kane scored 73 goals last season for Bayern Munich and the English national team. With the Munich club, he won the domestic double; in addition, the 33-year-old was named Germany’s Soccer Player of the Year and honored as Europe’s top scorer. At the World Cup, he led England to third place with six goals.

Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen sees this as a historic season. “The only player to have scored more goals in a single year this century is Lionel Messi. That shows the historic significance,” he explained. For Dreesen, Kane’s importance goes far beyond his goals anyway: “Aside from all the goals, he is much more than a classic No. 9. He displays leadership qualities—and that’s what sets world-class players apart.”

Kane himself, however, is reluctant to toot his own horn. “From an individual standpoint, the Ballon d’Or is the greatest achievement you can attain,” said the striker: “But it’s not in my hands. I’ve done what I could in terms of performance. Of course, it would be fantastic if it worked out.”

Mbappé and Yamal are making a case for themselves on the offensive end

Two of Kane’s biggest rivals take a very different approach. Lamine Yamal sees himself right at the top. “I think I’ve earned it this year based on my achievements,” the 19-year-old explained.

When asked about the best player in the world, the Barcelona star was also confident: “I’m firmly convinced that the two of us are the best in the world. To me, that’s clear, and anyone who follows the games knows it.” By “the two of us,” Yamal meant himself and Kylian Mbappé.

The Real Madrid star also has strong arguments in his favor. Although Mbappé didn’t win the World Cup with France, he did secure the tournament’s top scorer title. With 22 World Cup goals to his name, the 27-year-old is now the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. He also led the Champions League scoring chart with 15 goals—one more than Kane.

This is likely to set the stage for an exciting race, in which, alongside Kane, Mbappé, and Yamal, other candidates such as Rodri or last year’s winner, Ousmane Dembélé, can also hope to secure votes.

Here’s why Kane is a strong contender in the voting

Photo: Getty Images

The key point is that the Ballon d’Or isn’t decided solely by the number of goals scored. Individual performances, team success, and a player’s conduct and fair play are all taken into account. The combination of Kane’s 73 goals, the double with Bayern, and his strong World Cup performance could therefore carry significant weight.

Voting is conducted by 100 journalists, with one representative from each of the countries in the top 100 of the FIFA World Rankings. From the 30 nominees, each voter compiles their personal top 10. The voting deadline is September 28.

This means that even the candidates’ final performances before the deadline could still influence how they are perceived. While Mbappé and Yamal are publicly campaigning for themselves, Kane is taking a different approach: The Bayern star wants his performances on the field to speak for themselves.

From Munich’s perspective, a Kane victory would be a special honor. Alongside him, three other Bayern players—Michael Olise, Luis Díaz, and Dayot Upamecano—are nominated. However, the greatest hopes for the Golden Ball rest on Kane—and after his exceptional season, the Englishman has plenty of arguments in his favor.