According to Goal, the article argues that Kane deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or precisely because he is not campaigning for himself.

That was 25 years ago. In 2001, 21-year-old Michael Owen won the Ballon d'Or, football's most prestigious individual honor. The striker had previously won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, and League Cup with Liverpool, scoring 24 goals across those successful campaigns.

Owen revealed last year: "I had no idea what it was. Back then, the media barely even talked about it." He found out he had won through a call from his then-Liverpool manager. Owen said: "Gerard Houllier called me and told me I'd won the Ballon d'Or, and I asked him: What's that, boss?"

I'm not saying I wish we could return to that era. To be honest, I've never been a huge supporter of the Ballon d'Or, but the prize's importance has clearly grown significantly over the years, both in players' minds and in public perception.

What troubles me most, however, is the shameless self-promotion by the 30 nominees vying for the award. Worse still, their clubs actively support this practice, seizing every opportunity to promote their players and openly claiming they deserve the award more than their rivals.

Bayern Munich manager Flick recently asked about his favored candidate Yamal: "Why shouldn't we support him?" Yamal is among the leading favorites for this year's Ballon d'Or, with the ceremony scheduled for October 26 in London. My answer is: because it has nothing to do with humility or being a role model. As countless coaches worldwide repeatedly emphasize, the truth is on the pitch, and there's no need to elevate players above others through such transparent declarations. To put it bluntly, it's distasteful.

The 18-year-old Yamal recently stated: "Honestly, considering the honors I've received, I believe I deserve this award this year." Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid, who calls himself "the chosen one" and believes "no one was better than me last season," is equally arrogant. Imagine if young academy players spoke about themselves this way in a team sport.

Of course, this pre-award campaigning is nothing new. But this year, in a sport that has always emphasized the collective nature of the game, such behavior seems even more selfish. As early as 2013, Real Madrid assembled Di Stéfano, Emilio Butragueño, Ancelotti, Iker Casillas, and Sergio Ramos, among others, to mount a collective campaign for Cristiano Ronaldo, helping him compete against Messi and Ribéry. Unfortunately, in my view, it succeeded.

Two years ago, Real Madrid even stirred controversy by directly canceling their trip to Paris and boycotting the awards ceremony after it was revealed that Rodri, not Vinicius Jr., would win. The club then issued a statement saying: "If the criteria for this award did not put Vinicius first, then those same criteria should put Carvajal first. Since this is not the case, it's clear that the Ballon d'Or and UEFA do not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid will not stay where it is not respected."

Recently, Real Madrid's current manager José Mourinho exposed the absurd political manipulation behind the Ballon d'Or, putting himself in an uncomfortable position. In 2012, the Portuguese coach said: "How can you win the Ballon d'Or without winning a championship or any major honor? Don't talk to me about the Club World Cup or Super Cup—those are minor trophies. Talk to me about the major ones." Just weeks ago, he declared again: "You can't give the Ballon d'Or to a player simply because he won the Champions League or 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 on a personal level this summer."

Of course, Mbappé, as he himself says, has reasons to win the Ballon d'Or. And yes, such an award should perhaps be an individual goal for these top players. But without their teammates, they would never win this award, even if some of those teammates weren't as talented as they are.

Public displays, self-promotion campaigns, and arrogance from professional players and clubs should not be rewarded. These practices also distance modern football from its roots.

Before I close, I want to emphasize once more: I genuinely don't care who wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or. However, as a strong contender, Kane is reportedly deliberately choosing not to campaign for himself before the awards, which gives me hope that such conduct will be rewarded.

Traducido por IA.

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