Ballon d'Or: Harry Kane does not let Lamine Yamal's comments go unanswered

The Bayern striker refuses to fuel a controversy with Yamal but believes he has every chance of winning the award

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Ballon d'Or: Harry Kane does not let Lamine Yamal's comments go unanswered

Harry Kane has responded to Lamine Yamal's comments about the Ballon d'Or criteria and is openly backing his candidacy after an outstanding season.

The race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or continues to fuel debate. After Lamine Yamal said that the award should go to “the best player in the world” rather than simply a player who has “scored 80 goals”, Harry Kane was invited to respond. In an interview with The Standard, the Bayern Munich striker preferred to avoid any direct confrontation: “Everyone is free to do what they want in this situation.”

Kane: “I think I have every chance”

The England international refuses to launch an overly forceful personal campaign, but does not disown his record.

“Personally, it is not in my nature to talk about myself in that way. I am always very proud of what I have achieved. And, as a matter of principle, I know that my results last year are as good as anyone else’s. So I do not want to disown them,” he explained.

Kane nevertheless makes no secret of his ambition: “From my point of view, it would be incredible to win it, and I would be extremely proud to win it. I think I have every chance of winning, without a doubt. Time will tell; the voters will choose whoever they want.” Luis Díaz had already publicly backed his teammate's candidacy.

61 goals for Bayern for Harry Kane

The figures strengthen his case. Kane finished the 2025-2026 season with 61 goals and 7 assists in 51 matches for Bayern, including 36 goals in the Bundesliga. Including his performances for England, he reached 73 goals over the course of the season. Bayern won the league, the German Cup and the German Super Cup, while Kane also claimed the European Golden Shoe.

Yamal is a world champion and also nominated

Yamal, for his part, is also coming off a major season. With FC Barcelona, he played 45 matches, scored 24 goals and provided 17 assists. He won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup before becoming world champion with La Roja during the summer. Across all competitions and international appearances, his record stands at 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 matches. He had also been named the best player in La Liga for 2025-2026.

Kane and Yamal are both among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, revealed on September 8. The winner will be announced on October 26 in London, during the 70th edition of the award.