Harry Kane eyes 'special night' as Ballon d'Or favourite in London

Harry Kane says he hopes Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, his hometown, will be a "special night", with the Bayern Munich striker and England captain the bookmakers' favourite to win the award for the first time.

Kane, 33, scored 73 goals for club and country last season, the second-best mark in history behind Lionel Messi's 82 in 2010-2011.

He underlined that form on Wednesday, helping Bayern to a 2-2 draw with Arsenal. The former Tottenham player set up Alphonso Davies's first-half equaliser with a pinpoint long-range pass and, after dropping back to take goal kicks, won and then converted a second-half penalty. His England teammate Declan Rice scored late to level for Arsenal.

Kane is odds-on for the award but faces stiff competition from Spain's World Cup-winning pair Lamine Yamal and Rodri, France captain Kylian Mbappe and Bayern teammate Michael Olise.

'I try not to think about it'

While Yamal and Mbappe have publicly made their cases, Kane has stayed circumspect despite constant media questioning. "I try not to think about it. Obviously, it's hard," he said. "There's rumours flying around, so you try and stay away from it. I'm going to try and enjoy Monday night as much as possible. It's a big occasion and a big event."

The Ballon d'Or is awarded on three broad criteria: individual performances and impressive character, team performances, and class and fairplay.

Kane moved to Germany in 2023 and has since taken his trophy total to five, including last season's league and cup double, although Bayern's dominance of German football may count against him. Bayern reached the Champions League semifinals, going out narrowly to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain. England finished third at the World Cup, with Kane scoring six goals and providing one assist.

Kane has scored in each of his past 10 Champions League matches, one short of Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 11. "Whenever you're in any conversation with Ronaldo it means you're doing something special, especially in this competition," he said.

Praise from teammates and rivals

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said crowning Kane's season with the Ballon d'Or "would be deserved for the way he plays for the team", noting that Kane's happiest moment in recent years was finally winning his first team trophies in Germany.

Arsenal's Rice called Kane "the clear winner", saying his numbers speak for themselves. Former England midfielder Steven Gerrard joined Jude Bellingham in describing Kane as "arguably the best England player there's been".

Michael Owen was England's last Ballon d'Or recipient in 2001, while Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981 was the last Bayern player to claim the honour.

"Monday could be a special night. We'll have to wait and see," Kane said, adding that he is trying not to think about it too much because Bayern have important games, including one on Sunday.

Source: Al Jazeera.