Ballon d'Or 2026 Debate: Mbappe Scored Goals, Yamal Won Trophies, But Harry Kane Did It All
Harry Kane scored 73 goals and won a domestic treble with Bayern Munich, combining individual brilliance with team success in 2025-26 to emerge as one of the top Ballon d'Or contenders this year.
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The last Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or was Michael Owen in 2001. The last Frenchman to win the Ballon d'Or was Ousmane Dembele in 2025. The last Spanish player to win the Ballon d'Or was Rodri in 2024. As Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane emerges as a strong candidate to win the Golden Ball this year, it isn't just the likes of Mbappe and Yamal this year, but also a perception that tends to lean towards players from Real Madrid and Barcelona, irrespective of what some others have done that season. The last time a player from Bayern Munich came close to winning the Ballon d'Or was Robert Lewandowski after the Bundesliga club's historic sextuple in 2020, when France Football decided to cancel the award. The next year, Lewandowski stood second on the podium, behind Lionel Messi. Though it doesn't look like the Ballon d'Or ceremony could be cancelled this time, Kane isn't the 'favourite' to stand on the top podium spot despite being the 'favourite' in footballing terms.
That is what makes Yamal a reasonable contender for the Ballon d'Or. However, the argument that works against him is the fact that he was part of a special team and system, without being extraordinary himself. Is that enough to win the Ballon d'Or, especially considering Yamal couldn't take this Barcelona side beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season, while Bayern Munich went as far as the semi-finals, narrowly suffering a defeat at the hands of the eventual champions, Paris Saint-Germain?
Why Kane Deserves Ballon d'Or 2026
Kane, once revered as a player who struggled to win trophies despite being the No. 9 in England. He was widely seen as the best player at Tottenham Hotspur, and even in the Premier League for many. But since his move to Germany, Kane has added both trophies and goalscoring excellence.
He has not merely been a striker who has scored goals but someone who has been decisive in a team that lifted major silverware. Across Bayern Munich and England, Kane's numbers were staggering, but they came alongside tangible team success.
That balance is what arguably separates Kane from Mbappe and Yamal in the Ballon d'Or debate. Mbappe can point to an extraordinary goalscoring campaign, while Yamal has a particularly strong argument on the back of trophies and his influence on Barcelona's success. Kane, however, does not have to choose between the two arguments. He has the individual numbers and the silverware. Add his Champions League impact and his performances for England, and Kane's season becomes difficult to overlook.
The Ballon d'Or is ultimately supposed to recognise the player who stood above the rest over the course of a season, and if the criteria are goals, influence and trophies together, Kane has perhaps the most complete case of the three.
