Ballon d'Or 2026: Olise backs Kane over Mbappé and Dembélé

Michael Olise has made his choice. In a video of support published by Bayern Munich, the French international has cast his vote for Harry Kane for the Ballon d’Or 2026, setting aside his compatriots Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.

Like Real Madrid, which is publicly campaigning for Mbappé, the Bavarian club has launched its own campaign in favour of the 33-year-old English striker. Several squad members spoke in the video, including Luis Diaz, Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry and Jonathan Tah.

Olise justifies his choice straightforwardly: Kane deserves the award “because he was the best player last season”. A notable position for a French international, who could naturally have supported one of his teammates in the national team.

The other Bayern players agree. “He does everything: score, provide assists, defend… He’s one of the best strikers on the planet,” says Luis Diaz. Joshua Kimmich highlights the former Tottenham player’s statistics: “He scored 70 goals, but beyond that, he is essential for the team.” Serge Gnabry emphasises a contribution that goes beyond the numbers: “He had an incredible season. Not just as a striker, but also in helping the team in all areas.” Jonathan Tah sums up the collective position of the dressing room by mentioning “the goals, the assists, but also the way he plays”.

Bayern therefore has two legitimate candidates for the top prize this season — Kane and Olise himself — but has decided to concentrate its support on the English striker alone. The Ballon d’Or will be presented on 26 October in London.