Kane says England World Cup win would make him Ballon d'Or favourite

Harry Kane has declared himself a genuine Ballon d’Or contender, telling L’Equipe that winning the World Cup with England would put him at the front of the queue for the award, which is set to be presented on October 26 in London.

The Bayern Munich striker enjoyed one of the most prolific individual seasons in recent European football, scoring 61 goals across all competitions. He finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer with 36 goals in 31 matches, claimed the European Golden Shoe for the second time in three years, and collected three collective trophies with Bayern.

“I’d be one of the favorites, definitely,” Kane said. “Given the trophies I’ve won this season and the number of goals I’ve scored, I’d be in the running. Especially as, should England win the World Cup, one could imagine the trophy going to an English player.”

The 32-year-old is clear-eyed about the competition he faces. “When you look at who the current favorites are to win the Ballon d’Or, there’s Michael [Olise], the Champions League finalists and me,” he said, also acknowledging the threat posed by players such as Ousmane Dembélé.

Kane’s immediate focus now turns to international duty. England will play friendlies against New Zealand on June 6 and Costa Rica on June 10 before opening their World Cup Group L campaign against Croatia on June 17, Ghana on June 23, and Panama on June 27.

With his domestic case already built, Kane knows the tournament in North America represents his clearest path to the one honour that has so far eluded him — both the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or.