Those casting their ballots may once again be confronted with a difficult choice.
Rodri is likely to be Kane’s closest challenger. The previous Ballon d’Or recipient was widely considered Spain’s leading player during the competition, earning the Golden Ball as his nation captured its second World Cup crown.
Lamine Yamal completed a successful campaign by adding a World Cup medal after helping Barcelona regain the La Liga title. However, his teenage colleague Pau Cubarsi secured the Fifa Young Player Award following several exceptional displays.
Mbappe and Messi are also likely to receive considerable support. Mbappe led the World Cup scoring chart with 10 goals and won the Champions League Golden Boot as well as La Liga’s leading-scorer award, even though France did not reach the final and Real Madrid completed the campaign without a major trophy. Messi guided Argentina to their second consecutive World Cup final as captain and registered eight goals in the competition at 39 years old.
If Kane wins, he will become just the fifth English player to receive the Ballon d’Or, following Matthews, Charlton, Keegan and Michael Owen. He will also be the first footballer from a Bundesliga side to claim the honour since Matthias Sammer did so in 1996.
Past results indicate that Kane still faces an uphill battle, although few candidates have approached a Ballon d’Or vote with such impressive personal achievements.
The electorate must determine whether one of the modern game’s most remarkable scoring campaigns carries more weight than football’s greatest team honours—and whether Kane deserves a place among the award’s most exclusive winners.
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