Harry Kane makes bold Ballon d’Or claim, sets Champions League and World Cup expectations

Harry Kane has taken his game to another level since joining Bayern Munich, kicking off a remarkable start to the 2025–26 season as he aims to collect as many trophies as possible, with the 2026 World Cup looming at the end of the campaign. With his sights set on both the UEFA Champions League and the tournament in North America, Kane has also made a bold statement about his Ballon d’Or ambitions.

Now in his third season with Bayern, Kane is enjoying one of the best starts of his career, posting an incredible 18 goals and three assists in just 10 games—less than halfway through the campaign. Heading into international duty with England, the former Tottenham Hotspur captain is determined to help his team secure a spot in the next World Cup through the UEFA qualifiers.

Speaking to The Guardian, Kane didn’t shy away from admitting his desire to win the Ballon d’Or, while also stressing that such an individual award ultimately reflects team success. “I would love to win the Ballon d’Or. Essentially, it’s a team trophy that the best individual from that team wins, so it’s going to be a Champions League winner or a World Cup winner.”

As Kane pointed out, winning the Champions League often carries significant weight in the Ballon d’Or race—but with the World Cup also in play, lifting both trophies would be something truly extraordinary. “It would be an accumulation of doing something great individually and as a team. It would be almost the perfect season,” he added.

Harry Kane of Bayern Munich celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal to reach a record club 100 goals during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and SV Werder Bremen.

In the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, following his first major professional trophy with Bayern, Kane finished 13th with 112 points. His best result came in 2024, when he placed 10th after winning the Golden Boot. However, after another trophyless season that year, the England captain is now determined to climb even higher in the standings.

FIFA has reportedly released the official schedule for the first matches of the 2026 World Cup