World Champion Criticizes Kane: „Wasted his chance at the Ballon d’Or!“ | OneFootball

Harry Kane has had an absolutely fantastic season. The Bayern Munich forward won all three domestic titles and reached the Champions League semifinals with the club. He also finished third with England at the 2026 World Cup.

That’s why many experts believe Kane has an excellent chance of winning the Ballon d’Or. Michael Olise, his teammate at Bayern Munich, is also highly regarded by the experts.

In addition to his successes with the team, Kane has also excelled individually, scoring an outstanding 73 goals for Bayern Munich and the national team, making him by far the top scorer in the 2025–26 season.

Petit Criticizes Harry Kane

Many experts rave when they watch Kane and, above all, analyze his influence on the entire game. It’s not uncommon for the Englishman to drop back into midfield and orchestrate the play from there.

Photo: IMAGO

However, there are also critical voices from time to time. This is currently the case. Emmanuel Petit, a 1998 World Cup champion with France, has now sharply criticized the Bayern star.

“Harry Kane’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or are gone. If you take only the Bundesliga as a benchmark, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that,” the 55-year-old told Mr. Gamble. Hecontinued: “But in the Champions League and with the national team, when it really mattered, he disappeared.”

The Frenchman simply sees other players right now who were more decisive when it mattered most: “I can’t point the finger at him because he gives it his all and has scored a lot of goals. But in the big games—just like in the Champions League—he didn’t have that decisive impact. That’s why I see a few other players ahead of him.”

Who does he mean? Lamine Yamal, among others. “He had a great World Cup. The criteria for the Ballon d’Or have changed just as much as the rules on the field,” the Frenchman continued.