Harry Kane has been in sensational form for England and Bayern Munich this season with 72 goals, but Jamie Carragher believes the striker will miss out on the 2026 Ballon d'Or to the star of the World Cup-winning nation
Matthew Abbott
14:02, 02 Jul 2026Updated 14:07, 02 Jul 2026
Harry Kane
Harry Kane scored two for England(Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher reckons Harry Kane will likely miss out on the Ballon d'Or this year due to his England colleagues. He suggests that the prestigious annual prize will be claimed by the standout performer from whichever nation lifts the World Cup.
Carragher anticipates Lionel Messi will triumph if Argentina successfully defend their crown, while he identifies either Kylian Mbappé or Michael Olise as frontrunners should France emerge victorious. Nevertheless, the pundit maintains that Kane is presently the most deserving candidate for the 2026 honour.
The forward has reached 72 goals this season for Bayern Munich and England following his double for his nation that overturned their round of 32 encounter against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, bringing his tournament tally to five. Yet that purple patch coinciding with a World Cup could ultimately hamper his prospects of securing individual recognition, according to former England international Carragher.
Carragher penned in The Telegraph: "If the vote for the Ballon d'Or was being held right now, Kane would be the worthy winner, his heroics for England against DR Congo absorbing his 72nd goal of this season.
"Only Lionel Messi has recently hit those kinds of numbers. Not even Cristiano Ronaldo was so prolific in one campaign.
"Based on the past 12 months, Kane should win the Ballon d'Or. Unfortunately, he probably won't because in a World Cup year, it is bound to go to the star player of the winning nation. Much as I want to believe England can still win it, there is nothing to support that opinion, especially after recent performances.
"If Argentina retain the cup, Messi will win the Ballon d'Or. If France win the competition, one of their key men will get it. Kane's Bayern team-mate Michael Olise is a strong contender, and even though, by Kylian Mbappe's standards, he has had a frustrating year with his club, that will be forgotten when judged against his fantastic World Cup displays.
"Another of the Paris St-Germain stars might be celebrating a personal accolade, even though their Champions League win felt more of a team effort than the consequence of one outstanding contribution. Ousmane Dembele has enjoyed another fantastic season.
"Kane's goal output is beyond them all. He is performing at the same level as France's best and Messi, going toe-to-toe in the Golden Boot race."
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham(Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
Carragher's assessment proved accurate, as Messi secured the Ballon d'Or for an eighth time following Argentina's World Cup triumph. That said, such an outcome represents a departure from recent trends.
Luka Modric suffered defeat in the 2018 final before breaking a decade-long stranglehold by Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, while Antoine Griezmann and Mbappe claimed third and fourth place respectively, despite guiding France to glory. Messi and Ronaldo also failed to lift the tournament throughout their ten years monopolising the award.
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Consequently, Messi became the first player to claim the Ballon d'Or following World Cup triumph in 17 years, since Fabio Cannavaro, who secured it in 2006. Nevertheless, at that point, the defender was the third successive world champion to receive it, after Zinedine Zidane in 1998 and Ronaldo in 2002.