Marcel Reif predicts: "Harry Kane will win the Ballon d'Or" | OneFootball

At this year’s Ballon d’Or award, Harry Kane is considered only an outsider. But for the coming year, legendary reporter Marcel Reif sees the Bayern striker right at the top. On the BILD show “Reif ist live”, the 75-year-old made his prediction clear: “He will win the Ballon d’Or next year.”

Reif was especially enthusiastic about Kane’s versatility: “If Kane keeps playing like this, he is a complete footballer. I would love to honor that.” This, according to the expert, is also the decisive difference compared to Barcelona’s shooting star Lamine Yamal.

Although just 18 years old, Yamal impresses with spectacular plays, but contributes little defensively. “Yamal will have to perform miracles to snatch the title from Kane next year,” Reif emphasized.

Yamal and Dembélé in the Spotlight for 2025

Photo: IMAGO

For this year’s award, other names are considered favorites. Above all, Ousmane Dembélé, who became champion with Paris Saint-Germain, won the Champions League, and reached the Club World Cup final, is seen as the most promising candidate. “It’s wonderful after a fantastic season with PSG,” the former BVB pro explained confidently, calling the Ballon d’Or “an individual holy grail.”

Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid and Lamine Yamal are also considered challengers. Kane, on the other hand, despite his impressive performances for Bayern, can hardly hope for the 2025 trophy.

Bundesliga Trio on the Shortlist

Alongside Kane, two other Bundesliga players are on the 30-name shortlist: his teammate Michael Olise and Dortmund’s striker Serhou Guirassy. The only German candidate is Florian Wirtz, who was nominated after his €125 million transfer to Liverpool. However, with Bayer Leverkusen, the national player remained without a title during the evaluation period.

Whether Dembélé, Mbappé, or Yamal triumphs this year – for Marcel Reif, one thing is clear: by 2026 at the latest, there will be no getting past Bayern striker Kane.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.