Steven Gerrard believes Harry Kane "needs to deliver in terms of trophies" if the Bayern Munich and England striker is to win the Ballon d'Or this year.
Kane continued his remarkable club campaign in 2025-2026 as he scored in Bayern's 2-1 win over Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday (April 7).
Kane has now scored or assisted in four consecutive Champions League appearances against Madrid (two goals, two assists), the joint-longest run by a player against them in the competition (also four by Giovane Elber in 2002 and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2017).
The former Tottenham forward has now scored 49 goals in 41 appearances for Bayern this season (not including the Club World Cup) from an expected goals (xG) tally
of 37.8.
According to the Opta supercomputer, Bayern are second favourites to win the Champions League (29.2%), behind Arsenal (33.3%), while Vincent Kompany's side are in a strong position to win both the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal.
England, meanwhile, are third favourites (10.9%) to win the World Cup this summer, with Spain (16.5%) and France (12.8) more likely to win the competition.
Former England captain Gerrard insisted Kane must win the Champions League and go far with the Three Lions in the World Cup to win the Ballon d'Or.
"He should always be in the conversation because of the number of goals he scores," Gerrard told TNT Sports. "What I would say is that it's a massive few months for him.
4 - Harry Kane has scored or assisted in four consecutive #UCL appearances against Real Madrid (2 goals, 2 assists), the joint-longest run by a player against them in the competition (also 4 by Giovane Élber in 2002 and P-E Aubameyang in 2017). Unfazed. pic.twitter.com/ciKAU9ZSwK
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 7, 2026
"If he can progress in the Champions League and go and win it, if he can have a strong tournament with England and be around the highest scorers and England have a successful tournament, then I think you earn the right to be in the conversation for the Ballon D'Or.
"He's in a rush for trophies, he's coming towards those twilight years, he needs to deliver in terms of trophies, but if he's going to get the Ballon d'Or, this could be one of his last years to do it.
"Harry, in the next couple of months, has got to hope that his teams go all the way in the Champions League and that England can go to the latter stages [in the World Cup] as well.
"That gives him a better chance for the individual awards. "
