📷 - @harrykane
Written by Amy Tuscher
In the world of football, few things are as hotly debated as the Ballon d'Or. It's an award that aims to crown the world's best player, but its criteria, and the results they produce, often spark furious discussion.
This year, one name again stands out as a focal point of that debate: Harry Kane. Despite a stellar campaign with Bayern Munich and a continued knack for finding the back of the net, the English striker's placement in the final rankings has left many scratching their heads.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony saw Harry Kane finishing a staggering 13th place, a ranking that seems baffling when considering his individual output and team success over the past season.
The official criteria for the award, set by French Football, are based on three pillars: individual performance, collective success, and a player's class and fair play.
While Kane's character and sportsmanship are rarely, if ever, in question, it's the first two criteria that should have seen him ranked far higher.
Kane's 2024/25 season was, by any measure, a resounding success. In his second season with Bayern Munich, he was instrumental in the club's recapture of the Bundesliga title. He finished as the league's top scorer, securing the Bundesliga Golden Boot with 26 goals, his second in as many seasons. He also continued his prolific form in the UEFA Champions League, scoring 11 goals in 13 appearances, a tally that was only bettered by a couple of other players in the competition.
These numbers are a testament to his individual brilliance and decisive impact on the game—the very first criteria for the award.
For a player who has consistently produced elite-level statistics for both club and country, Kane's lack of major individual accolades is a recurring theme. The Ballon d'Or has often been seen as a "big game" award, rewarding players who perform on the grandest stages. While Kane has delivered in these moments, a perception, perhaps unfairly, has lingered that he needs more "big tournament" performances to be in the top tier of contenders.
So why does a player with such undeniable quality and consistent output fail to climb higher in the Ballon d'Or rankings?
Some have pointed to a perceived "PR problem," arguing that playing for a non-traditional powerhouse like Tottenham for so long may have hindered his global image. His move to Bayern was meant to address this, and his swift success in Germany was supposed to change the narrative. Yet, his 13th-place finish suggests that even a Bundesliga title and a prolific season weren't enough to shake the perception.
Another factor might be the new era of the Ballon d'Or. With the award now judged on a single season's performance rather than a calendar year, the narrative and recency bias of major tournaments can have a significant impact. While Kane did have a successful club season, his England team finished as runners-up at Euro 2024. While he was the joint-top scorer in the tournament with three goals, the lack of an outright tournament win may have hurt his case.
Regardless of the reasoning, Harry Kane's latest Ballon d'Or ranking highlights a fascinating paradox. He is a player who defies convention, he is a world-class striker but also a masterful playmaker. He is a goalscoring machine who is more than just a poacher. He is the complete forward. His numbers, which are truly remarkable, tell a story of consistent excellence that the Ballon d'Or seems to have undervalued.
Harry Kane: A Statistical Snapshot (Last Few Seasons)
Here's a look at Harry Kane's output for club and country over the past few seasons, demonstrating the sheer volume of his contributions:
Club (Premier League & Bundesliga)
* 2022/23 (Tottenham): 38 league appearances, 30 goals, 3 assists.
* 2023/24 (Bayern Munich): 32 league appearances, 36 goals, 8 assists.
* 2024/25 (Bayern Munich): 31 league appearances, 26 goals, 9 assists.
Country (England)
* 2022: 13 goals in 13 appearances across all competitions.
* 2023: 9 goals in 9 appearances.
* 2024: 4 goals in 9 appearances, including 3 at Euro 2024.
* 2025: 5 goals in 4 appearances (as of September 2025).
These statistics paint a picture of a player at the very peak of his career, a consistent force in front of goal who also contributes significantly to his team's creative output. His record-breaking season in 2023/24, where he won the European Golden Shoe, and his follow-up in 2024/25, where he finally secured a major club trophy, should have been a slam dunk for a top-five placement. Instead, he finds himself on the fringes of the conversation, a testament to the unpredictable and often perplexing nature of the beautiful game's most prestigious individual award.
So we must ask - what more does Kane need to do to win the Ballon d'Or ?
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