Harry Kane is refusing to get ahead of himself, but his numbers have firmly placed him among the leading contenders for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The England striker enjoyed an extraordinary campaign with Bayern Munich and believes he has done everything within his control to challenge for football's most prestigious individual award.
Harry Kane Eyes Ballon d'Or After Historic Bayern Season
The England striker enjoyed a sensational season with Bayern Munich and, while refusing to make predictions, believes he has done everything possible to compete for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
The 33-year-old finished the Bundesliga season with 36 goals and five assists in 31 appearances. His incredible production extended beyond the German league, with Kane scoring 61 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions during the 2025-26 campaign.
His individual numbers were accompanied by a successful trophy haul. After ending his wait for major silverware with Bayern, Kane helped the club retain the Bundesliga title while also lifting the DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup.
He also made a significant impact with England at the World Cup. Kane scored six goals and overtook Gary Lineker to become England's all-time leading scorer at the tournament. However, England's campaign ended in the semifinals against Argentina, who eventually finished as runners-up.
That result represents one of the biggest obstacles in Kane's Ballon d'Or case. At club level, Bayern also fell short of reaching the Champions League final after losing in the semifinals to Paris Saint-Germain, who went on to win the competition.
Kane remains calm when asked about his chances. The striker believes he has already done everything within his control and that the final outcome will depend on voters, journalists and other members of the football community.
"The Ballon d'Or is not in my hands. I've done what I can do in terms of putting in the performances. It's now down to votes and other people and the media," Kane said.
German football legend Lothar Matthäus, however, has been far more emphatic in his support. The former midfielder believes Kane is the leading candidate for the award and praised the consistency he maintained throughout the season.
For Matthäus, Kane's failure to reach the finals of both the World Cup and Champions League is the only major weakness in his candidacy. Even so, his extraordinary statistics and influence at Bayern have kept him firmly in the Ballon d'Or conversation.
Kane is happy to wait. The final decision is still to come, but after scoring 61 goals, winning multiple trophies and delivering a strong World Cup campaign, the England captain has more than enough reasons to dream of taking home the biggest individual prize in football.
