English Media: Kane Favourite for Ballon d'Or, but His Humility Could Cost Him the Award

On 9 September, The Daily Telegraph published a column discussing prospects for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The article suggested that Kane is among the favourites, but his personality may prevent him from winning the award.

Next month, the Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held in London, and Kane will be one of the main contenders for the 2026 award, which recognises the world's best footballer.

Kane is one of three English players on the Ballon d'Or shortlist, the other two being Bellingham and Declan Rice. Messi, 39, is expected to win his ninth Ballon d'Or in an illustrious career.

If Kane wins the Ballon d'Or, he will become the first English player to receive the award since Michael Owen in 2001, and the fifth Englishman ever to win this prestigious honour.

Is Kane the main favourite for the Ballon d'Or?

This year appears to be the most opportune moment in Kane's career to recognise his individual contribution to a career defined by selflessness.

Last season, Kane scored an impressive 61 goals for Bayern Munich across all competitions, while leading England to the World Cup semi-finals. Few other candidates can match Kane's dual impact at both club and international level.

In the past, Kane's statistics would have been completely overshadowed by the extraordinary goal tallies of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, but that era of goal-scoring excess is behind us and difficult to replicate.

Kane's performance last season was exceptional; he is not only a clinical and focused striker but also a creator, leader, and role model.

Kane redefines the modern striker: in the first leg of the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain last season, he dropped into midfield, expertly orchestrating desperate counter-attacks to lead his team; against DR Congo, he relied on sharp penalty-box instincts and lion-hearted fighting spirit to help England win – both duties came naturally to him.

Kane was focused last season, and although Bayern and England ultimately fell short of their respective ambitions, this should not be held against him. However, Kane's selfless nature means he may not see it that way, as he naturally tends to deflect attention from himself to the team.

Ironically, and perhaps tragically, the very qualities that make Kane such a strong candidate may be the reason he loses the award. Kane embodies English reserve, always with a sense of humility, appearing the perpetual runner-up.

Kane has never been one to boast. As the Ballon d'Or voting approaches, he will certainly not promote himself like others do, but will quietly step aside, allowing others to publicise his chances of winning.

There are previous winners, like World Cup winner Rodri, also a candidate for 2026, who were not overtly involved in public relations or too many off-field factors when they won.

However, the competition for this year's 30-man shortlist is extremely tight. Candidates must rely not only on their hard work but also on emotional engagement. The question is whether Kane's abilities can stand out amidst all this noise.

Kane's Biggest Rivals

Among other candidates, Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri, and Messi are most likely to compete with Kane.

Mbappé has never finished in the top three in previous Ballon d'Or voting, but he still scored 42 goals across all competitions after a turbulent year at Real Madrid, including 15 goals in 11 Champions League matches.

The 27-year-old acknowledged that this year is the right time to compete for the Ballon d'Or, and he clearly feels the weight of history – Real Madrid, with 12 Ballon d'Or awards, is the most successful club in the award's history.

Mbappé said: "I feel that when you play for the best club in the world like Real Madrid, people naturally associate you with this award."

Yamal is widely regarded as the best young player in the world today, and in the future, he will likely be among the Ballon d'Or favourites for years to come.

However, due to injury last season, he could not deliver the impact needed to help Barcelona win La Liga or Spain win the World Cup again since 2010.

Whenever he plays, Yamal easily produces world-class performances with the unique vitality of a young player, scoring 16 goals and providing 12 assists in 28 league matches.

However, the Ballon d'Or rewards power and consistency, especially when competing against highly productive players like Kane and Mbappé.

Messi and Rodri have both won the Ballon d'Or, and last season, both played key roles in Argentina and Spain's journeys to the World Cup final.

Rodri was also named man of the match in the World Cup final – a final decided by a winning goal from fellow nominee Ferran Torres in extra time. Rodri previously experienced a setback due to injury before moving to Barcelona and successfully rebuilding his reputation; this award can be seen as the perfect pinnacle of his career highlights.

Defending champion Ousmane Dembélé also made the shortlist; he helped Paris Saint-Germain retain the Champions League title and also performed very well at the World Cup.

Which Premier League Players Are Nominated for the Ballon d'Or?

Premier League champions Arsenal unsurprisingly has the most nominees from the Premier League, with Rice, Gabriel, and Saliba all on the list.

Besides the Arsenal trio, there are few other Premier League candidates, with only Manchester City's striker Haaland and Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes making the cut.

David Raya has been nominated as the best men's goalkeeper this year, while Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery have been nominated as the best coaches this year.

Why Is the Ballon d'Or in London?

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d'Or, and the awards ceremony will return to where Sir Stanley Matthews, the first recipient in 1956, received his award.

Since 2019, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris has hosted the Ballon d'Or ceremony, but this year, on Monday, 26 October, the London Palladium will temporarily take over as host.

Although Stanley Matthews quietly received the first Ballon d'Or at Blackpool Town Hall at the time, today's awards ceremony is far different from before. To mark this milestone, the Ballon d'Or will return to its "spiritual home".