Kane Slips Up, Yamal Works Magic: Is the Ballon d’Or Race About to Take a New Turn? | OneFootball

Was this a setback for Harry Kane in the race for the Ballon d’Or? In Saturday’s spectacular Nations League match between England and Spain, two prominent contenders for the prestigious award took center stage.

Kane and Lamine Yamal each scored once, but in the end, only the 19-year-old Spaniard had reason to celebrate. Spain won 3-2 at Wembley. It was particularly bitter for the Bayern striker: Kane had a golden opportunity to put England up 3-1.

Shortly after halftime , with the score at 2-1 , the Three Lions were awarded a penalty kick. Kane stepped up to take it but slipped as he ran up to the ball. The ball hit the crossbar. The goal wouldn’t have counted anyway due to an illegal double touch.

Kane slips up – Yamal receives high praise

Despite scoring a goal of his own, it was an unfortunate evening for Kane. After the missed penalty, Spain turned the game around. Alex Baena first scored the equalizer, before Mikel Oyarzabal chipped the ball in to give the visitors a 3-2 victory.

Yamal had already put Spain ahead after just over a minute and continued to pose a threat throughout the match. This didn’t go unnoticed by the English media either. After the match, The Guardian wrote about the Barça star: “You couldn’t take your eyes off Lamine.”

Teammate Baena also made no secret of who he thinks is the frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or: “For me, the winner has to be Lamine.”

Does one game really decide the Ballon d’Or?

Photo: IMAGO

It’s impossible to say with any certainty whether this head-to-head matchup will actually influence the voting. After all, the Ballon d’Or is awarded based on performance over a much longer period of time, not on the basis of a single Nations League match.

Nevertheless, the contrasting performances of the evening are likely to fuel public debate: On one hand, Yamal, who impressed in the away win at Wembley. On the other, Kane, who also scored but missed a potential game-changer for England with his missed penalty kick.

The two stars are handling the topic differently anyway. Yamal is publicly and aggressively promoting his candidacy, while Kane is deliberately keeping a low profile. Most recently, the Bayern Munich striker told *Marca*: “I can only thank my teammates and everyone who helped me make this possible. But the Ballon d’Or isn’t in my hands.”

Ultimately, it’s up to the voters to decide who receives the award on October 26. The spectacular head-to-head matchup between Kane and Yamal at least gives them something new to talk about.