According to Goal, this article states that H. Kane would deserve the Ballon d'Or 2026 more if he refrains from campaigning for himself.

This takes us back 25 years to 2001, when Michael Owen, at age 21, won the Ballon d'Or, the most prestigious and important individual honor in world football. The striker won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, and League Cup with Liverpool, scoring 24 goals in those triumphant campaigns.

Owen revealed last year: "I didn't even know what it was. Back then, the media didn't even mention it." He learned about his award through a phone call from Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier at the time. Owen said: "Gérard called me and told me I'd won the Ballon d'Or, and I asked him: 'What's that, boss?'"

I don't want to conclude definitively that I wish we could return to that era. To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of the Ballon d'Or award, but its importance has grown significantly over the years—both in players' minds and in public perception.

However, I believe what is shameful, inappropriate, and arrogant is self-promotion by those who might win among the 30 nominees. Worse still is that this behavior is backed by their clubs, which miss no opportunity to praise their own players or even directly claim that their player deserves the award more than the competition.

Barcelona coach Flick recently asked about his favorite player Yamal: "Why wouldn't we support him?" Yamal is among the favorites for this year's Ballon d'Or, with the ceremony scheduled for October 26 in London. My answer is: because it's not about modesty or being a good role model, as countless coaches worldwide have repeatedly emphasized. The truth is on the pitch, and there's no need to elevate your own player above others with explicit statements. More plainly, doing so is rather disgusting.

The 18-year-old Yamal recently said: "To be honest, given the honors I've received, I think I deserve this award this year." Kylian Mbappé from Real Madrid, who calls himself "the chosen one" and believes "there's no one better than me last season," is equally arrogant. Imagine if young players at youth academies spoke about themselves this way in team sports.

Of course, targeted campaigning before the awards ceremony is nothing new. This year, in a sport that consistently emphasizes the importance of the collective, such actions seem increasingly selfish. For example, in 2013, Real Madrid rallied Alfredo di Stéfano, Emilio Butarque, Carlo Ancelotti, Iker Casillas, and Sergio Ramos, among others, to campaign for Cristiano Ronaldo to help him compete against Lionel Messi and Franck Ribéry. Unfortunately, in my view, it worked in the end.

Two years ago, Real Madrid caused controversy by canceling their trip to Paris and boycotting the awards ceremony. There had been leaks that Rodri, not Vinícius Júnior, would win. The club then issued a statement: "If the criteria for this award didn't rank Vinícius Júnior first, those same criteria should rank Dani Carvajal first. Since that's not the case, it's clear that the Ballon d'Or and UEFA don't respect Real Madrid, and Real Madrid won't be where it's not respected."

Most recently, José Mourinho, former Real Madrid coach, revealed the absurd politics behind the Ballon d'Or again, putting himself in an awkward position. In 2012, the Portuguese coach said: "How can you win the Ballon d'Or without winning the Champions League or any major trophy? Don't talk to me about the Club World Cup or Super Cup. That's trivial. Talk to me about the most important trophies." A few weeks ago, he also said: "You can't give the Ballon d'Or to a player just because he won the Champions League or the World Cup. There are two, three, or four best players in the world, and we all know who they are and where they are. We know who made history at the personal level this summer."

Of course, Mbappé, as he says himself, "has reasons to win the Ballon d'Or." Of course, the award may be a personal goal for these elite players, but without their teammates, they would never win it, even if some teammates might be less talented than them.

Public boasting, eagerness for self-promotion, and the arrogance of elite players and their clubs should not be rewarded. Such behavior drives modern football further and further away from its roots.

Before writing my final sentence, I want to emphasize once more: I don't care who wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or. However, as a strong contender, H. Kane has reportedly intentionally chosen not to campaign for himself before the awards ceremony, which makes me hope this behavior gets rewarded.

แปลโดย AI

เว็บไซต์ AF เปิดตัวแล้ว! ดูข่าว ความคิดเห็น รายละเอียดแมตช์ และสถิติครบถ้วนบนคอมพิวเตอร์ของคุณ เยี่ยมชม: www.allfootballapp.com