France's World Cup exit boosts Kane's Ballon d'Or hopes ahead of England vs Argentina

Harry Kane’s chances of winning his first Ballon d’Or have received a significant boost after France’s World Cup elimination removed three of his closest rivals from contention. Spain defeated France in their semi-final, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro sealing victory for the reigning European champions.

Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé — who won the award last season — and Kane’s Bayern Munich team-mate Michael Olise had all been considered serious contenders. With France now out of the tournament, their prospects of claiming the prestigious prize have effectively collapsed.

Kane heads into England’s semi-final against Argentina in Atlanta having scored six goals at the tournament, adding to a domestic season in which he fired Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title. The 32-year-old still faces competition from Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who has been widely praised following a standout season in La Liga.

Speaking ahead of the World Cup, Kane acknowledged that a strong tournament could prove decisive in the Ballon d’Or race. “I’d probably say I’ll be up there for sure,” he said. “With the season I’ve had, I think with winning the three trophies, the numbers I’ve reached, I think I’ll be in that conversation.”

“If I win the World Cup on top of that, you would imagine it would be one of the England players. When you look at some of the past winners of the Ballon d’Or, for sure it comes down to the big games, the big tournaments, and you add that on top of what I’ve achieved this year, I think I’ll be up there.”

Kane also pointed to the broader picture of contenders emerging from the club season. “I think you’re starting to hear the noise about the players who are maybe favourites for the Ballon d’Or at the moment, maybe me and Michael [Olise] and some of the players who were Champions League finalists. So it’s been an incredible season. I’m not the type of guy who wants to say I deserve the Ballon d’Or. I try and do my talking on the pitch.”

Thomas Tuchel’s England now stand two wins from a World Cup triumph, with Wednesday’s semi-final against Argentina representing Kane’s clearest opportunity yet to make an unanswerable case for the award.