Despite toppling records set by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with even the great Pelé now in his sights, Harry Kane warned that it will take more than goals to win next year’s Ballon d’Or.
Kane finished 13th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting, finding himself below both fullbacks for Paris Saint-Germain and even his England compatriot Cole Palmer.
The Bundesliga champion enjoyed an even better individual campaign in 2023–24, amassing 44 goals in 45 games for Bayern Munich while leading the Three Lions to the final of Euro 2024. Yet, that year, he still couldn’t climb higher than 10th in the vote for ’s prestigious individual award.
Now very much in the second half of his career, Kane is still showing remarkable signs of improvement. Taking on an increasing amount of responsibility in possession for a rampant Bayern Munich side, the 32-year-old has rattled in 23 goals across 17 games, scoring and assisting at a quicker rate than Messi’s record-shattering 2011–12 campaign.
Yet, Kane has come to the conclusion that it will require more than mere goals to earn in the individual accolades his performances have warranted. “I could score 100 goals this season, but if I don’t win the Champions League or the World Cup, you’re probably not going to win the Ballon d’Or,” the England captain sighed to .
