Thomas Müller names his Ballon d’Or favorites—and leaves Harry Kane off the list | OneFootball

The excitement is building: The 2026 Ballon d’Or will be awarded on October 26. With Harry Kane and Michael Olise, two Bayern Munich stars are among the promising candidates. But if Thomas Müller has his way, only one of the two has what it takes to be the world’s best soccer player.

The longtime Bayern pro named his personal favorites in his newsletter. Müller chose Olise and French star Kylian Mbappé. Notably, Harry Kane—who has drawn attention with an extraordinary goal-scoring rate and numerous titles—does not appear on Müller’s list.

“For me, there are two candidates who have impressed me the most with their individual performances, and those are Michael Olise and his brilliant partner at the World Cup, Kylian Mbappé,” Müller explained.

Müller raves about Olise’s “magic”

Olise, in particular, has made a strong impression on the former Bayern star. The French winger looks back on an outstanding season, racking up 53 points in 57 games. At the World Cup, he also shone with seven assists, setting a new World Cup assist record.

Müller particularly highlighted Olise’s qualities from long range: “It’s nothing new how he converts those shots from outside the box, and yet it’s always a sight to behold.”

Mbappé also impressed Müller. The Frenchman scored ten goals at the World Cup and set up four more. With a total of 22 World Cup goals, he also set a new record.

For Müller, however, the Ballon d’Or is apparently not just about numbers. “In the details, they manage to be efficient with their finesse and power—and make the whole thing look effortless. To me, that’s what makes a world-class soccer player. It just takes a touch of magic,” explained the 37-year-old.

Kane is missing despite his incredible goal-scoring rate

Photo: IMAGO

It’s certainly surprising that Müller doesn’t count his former Bayern teammate Kane among his two favorites. The Englishman posted extraordinary numbers last season. He scored 61 goals in 51 official matches, and across all competitions, he even tallied 72 goals. With Bayern, Kane also won the double and secured the Golden Boot as Europe’s top scorer.

This is another reason why the 33-year-old continues to be considered a hot contender for the Ballon d’Or. However, Müller apparently places greater weight on other factors in his personal selection.

In addition to Kane, Olise, and Mbappé, other prominent names are being discussed. Rodri captained Spain to the World Cup title and was named the tournament’s best player.

Toni Kroos, meanwhile, has a very different favorite. The former German national team player voiced his support on Instagram for PSG star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: “It probably won’t be Kvara, but for me, he’s the clear number one!”

The Georgian won the Champions League and the French league title with Paris. In the Champions League, he contributed ten goals and seven assists. One drawback in the race for the Ballon d’Or: Georgia did not qualify for the World Cup.

For Müller, on the other hand, the choice is clear. For him, Olise and Mbappé are at the top of the list—and, ironically, not the Bayern striker, who was virtually unbeatable in terms of raw statistics.