After aiding Bayern Munich to a 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw on Wednesday evening, Harry Kane insists he is as clueless as the remainder of us in regards to the winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, which will probably be printed at a rite subsequent Monday night.
The Ballon d’Or is extensively regarded as to be international soccer’s maximum prestigious person honour, having been awarded by way of a collection of soccer newshounds on behalf of French newsletter France Soccer since 1956.
Subsequent Monday’s announcement will crown the seventieth winner of the award, which has been given out yearly since its inception aside from a Covid-enforced cancellation in 2020.
Paris Saint-Germain ahead Ousmane Dembele is the present holder of the trophy, which has been passed to Argentina’s Lionel Messi on a file 8 events and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo an extra 5.
Kane is the favorite with the bookmakers forward of Barcelona teen Lamine Yamal to win the 2026 version, with Michael Owen (2001) the latest of the 4 English gamers to have gained the award.
Yamal has previously insisted that he “deserves” the title for his 34 objectives and 28 assists for Barcelona for the reason that get started of final season along with 4 objectives in 4 wins for Spain all through the hot UEFA International locations League window.
That flurry of moves for Spain had noticed Yamal draw degree with Kane with the bookmakers sooner than the Englishman reasserted himself with six International locations League objectives of his personal and every other 4 for Bayern Munich since, taking his general for the reason that get started of final season to 71 objectives and 14 assists for Bayern and 18 objectives and 3 assists for England.
33-year-old Kane has no longer presented a public opinion on who he thinks must win the Ballon d’Or, however conceded he “can be actually glad to obtain such an award” after what he himself described as “an excellent 12 months“.
Kane additionally admitted it hasn’t been simple to dedicate everything of his center of attention to his on-field efforts with the ancient announcement so close to.
“I would love to understand (prematurely who wins) to simply roughly see and no longer have to attend all over the entire evening,” he mentioned on Wednesday.
“However it’s their determination, I will be able to’t keep watch over that. We will have to simply experience it and take a look at to not pressure out an excessive amount of.
“They would like everybody to head, the entire large names there and there will probably be extra other folks observing it if they do not know, so I will be able to perceive why.
“I check out to not consider it. Clearly it’s exhausting to not. There are at all times rumours flying round and also you attempt to avoid it.”
Tournament organisers first started maintaining the winner a whole secret in 2024 – or a minimum of attempted to, with that ceremony boycotted by Real Madrid after the membership discovered by way of a leak that Vinicius Junior were edged out by way of Rodri in vote casting.
The Ballon d’Or gala takes position on the London Palladium Theatre on Monday evening between 8pm and 10pm BST, with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi additionally in out of doors rivalry for what’s another way in large part regarded as a two-man race.
Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, because the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at a number of primary occasions in Melbourne together with the Australian Open, State of Beginning, A-League, NBL and global cricket. You’ll learn his items here and call him on X or LinkedIn.