The 2024-25 season has been another standout year for Harry Kane, who has continued to impress in his second season at Bayern Munich. Now on international duty with England, the prolific striker has discussed his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or and compared himself to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
With Messi and Ronaldo no longer dominating European football, several stars are vying to claim the title of the world’s best player. Kane, who has been in excellent form this season, was asked about his own Ballon d’Or chances, and he gave a confident response:
“100 percent. I felt that last season as well, I scored over 40 goals, but obviously, I was never going to win the Ballon d’Or because we didn’t win the team trophies. I finished 10th in the Ballon d’Or while at Spurs and that was as high as I probably could have finished. Those opportunities are there (now). That’s probably what I mean in terms of being respected more worldwide, on the bigger stage,” the England star stated in a press conference before the Albania match.
Kane also discussed how his move from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich has helped him gain more recognition in the soccer elite: “Just being at a club like Bayern Munich has helped push me on even more, confidence-wise and responsibility-wise.
“Sometimes when you’re playing in these types of teams where you’re getting loads of chances, when you‘re expected to score 30, 40 a season, that’s an expectation I like to have,” the striker set the record.
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Comparisons with the Ronaldo-Messi era
Ronaldo and Messi dominated European football for nearly two decades, not just in terms of winning trophies but also with their extraordinary stats in goals and assists. Kane drew a parallel to their situation, reflecting on how the two legends dealt with constant pressure.
“It’s like when Ronaldo and Messi were throwing these crazy numbers out there and the next season they’d score 40 goals instead of 50 and it was like they were having a bad season,” Kane explained. “People take it for granted and maybe a little bit with England as well. I’ve scored 69 goals and when you score against Albania or Latvia, or these teams, people just expect it so it’s not spoken about so much.”
Kane’s stats as a Ballon d’Or contender
Despite netting 44 goals in 45 games last season, Kane finished 10th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings in what was a trophy-less season for him once again. However, the 2024-25 campaign could prove to be a turning point in his career.
Bayern Munich are competing on three fronts: the Bundesliga, the UEFA Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup. With the league title almost in hand, winning an international trophy could propel Kane into serious Ballon d’Or contention. His current tally of 32 goals and 11 assists in 37 games this season further boosts his candidacy.
