It really depends on who you’d ask, but Bayern Munich and England’s Harry Kane is a serious shout to win this year’s Ballon d’Or at the end of next month at the London Palladium. France Football’s certainly no stranger to making controversial decisions in doling out what’s historically been the most prestigious inidivual honor for a footballer, but there’s massive hope for the England skipper after an absolutley sensational season for club and country.
For the time frame the Ballon d’Or is judged
on, Kane was incredibly lethal for Bayern and England, and there’s simply no denying that. Last season, Kane finished with 61 goals and 7 assists from a total of 51 appearances across all competitions. For England at the World Cup, the Three Lions’ skipper tallied 6 goals and 1 assist in their run to the semifinals before getting knocked out by Argentina. Had England gone on to the final and beaten Spain, Kane would surely be the odds-on favorite to win the Ballon d’Or without any trace of doubt.
While Kane does have some competition from the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and perhaps even Fabián Ruiz, former Bayern and Germany midfielder Lothar Matthäus, Kane is the favorite to win.
“For me, Harry Kane is the favorite to win the Ballon d’Or. Why? German champion, DFB Pokal winner, Champions League semi-finalist, third place at the World Cup. He performed in every single competition, scored goals, was a leader for his teams. He’s a difference maker. His character on and off the pitch is impeccable – for me being a role model is also an important factor in winning the Ballon d’Or,” Matthäus rationalized to Bild Tv (via @iMiaSanMia).
In terms of his direct competitors, Matthäus knows that there have been some incredible achievements in big moments from those players, but that Kane has delivered the highest performances overall as a collective. The award is reportedly placing an emphasis on popping up with key moments in big matches, but it’s clear that Kane has done that, and then some.
“All other nominees won things as well – but when you look at the performance as a whole, Harry Kane is the frontrunner and has a very big chance of winning it. I’d be happy for him, not because he’s a Bayern player, but because he’s an excellent ambassador of international football,” Matthäus stressed.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- New, improved notifications system!
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
