German legend Lothar Matthäus has taken his position in the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or and places Harry Kane at the top of his hierarchy. For the former Germany international, the Bayern Munich striker must be judged on his whole year, and not just on his performances at the World Cup. An approach which pushes him in particular to dismiss Lamine Yamal, despite the world title won with Spain.
Kane won two domestic trophies with Bayern and was particularly consistent throughout the season. Matthäus acknowledges that his lack of Champions League and World Cup titles constitutes his main weakness, but believes that this is not enough to call his record into question. “For me, Kane is the player who most deserves the Ballon d’Or”decided the 65-year-old German, who also places the Englishman ahead of Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Lionel Messi.
