Jose Mourinho is right to say that the Ballon d'Or should be awarded to the individual best player, who leaves a sufficiently large mark to be remembered for a long time. He once mentioned Diego Maradona, Ronaldo Nazario, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lothar Matthaus when talking about such players.
If that criterion is used as a measure, Harry Kane deserves to win the Ballon d'Or this year. The English striker has faced many doubts, especially related to not winning the title while playing for Tottenham. However, his move to Bayern Munich has helped Kane prove the đẳng cấp (level/class) of one of the most comprehensive center forwards in the world.
Kane is not only outstanding in scoring ability. After 121 appearances for the England national team, he has scored 85 goals and become the number one scorer in the history of the "Three Lions". In the modern generation, Kane can be considered the best player in English football, thanks to his ability to finish, assist, connect his playing style and create influence on the whole team.
Last season, Kane's numbers were particularly impressive. He scored 73 goals for Bayern Munich and the England national team, including 61 goals at club level and 12 goals for the national team. In the top 5 European national championships, only Lionel Messi has scored more in a season, with 82 goals for Barcelona and Argentina in the 2011-2012 season. Cristiano Ronaldo once reached 69 goals, Erling Haaland had 61 goals, and Gerd Muller once scored 72 goals for Bayern.
Kane also won the domestic league and national cup titles with Bayern. However, the "Bayern" stopped in the Champions League semi-finals against PSG, who then defeated Arsenal in the final. Therefore, Kane does not have a Champions League title to add to his Ballon d'Or profile.
At the 2026 World Cup, England finished third, the best record since 1966. Kane scored 6 goals and continued to play an important role in the team's journey. Criticisms about Kane often declining when England goes deep cannot obscure the contribution of this striker. If it weren't for Kane's goals, England could have been eliminated early against the DRC.
Kylian Mbappe, who was chosen by Mourinho, also did not win any titles in the past season. Lamine Yamal has the advantage of winning La Liga and the World Cup, while Rodri stands out with the World Cup Player of the Year award. However, Rodri did not have a full season with Manchester City due to injury.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is also a formidable candidate after his outstanding performance in PSG colors. Georgia's failure to participate in the 2026 World Cup cannot deny the ability of this player, like the case of George Best in the past.
However, Kane still has reason to be chosen. He continuously crosses the line, maintaining peak form at Tottenham, Bayern Munich and England. If the Ballon d'Or is really for the best individual player, Kane deserves to be honored.
