France legend Emmanuel Petit has insisted that Harry Kane does not deserve to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
The England captain had an amazing season in Europe before helping the Three Lions to a third-place finish in the just-ended World Cup.
Kane scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga and provided five assists to lead Bayern Munich to another league title.
His scoring exploits did not end in the German league as he scored 14 goals in the Champions League, despite the Bavarians failing to go all the way to the final.
The 32-year-old finished the World Cup with six goals to become the Englishman with the most goals in the competition’s history.
Petit admitted that the former Tottenham Hotspur superstar had a stellar season but went missing when he was needed most in the World Cup and Champions League.
“Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or chances are over. If you base that only on the German league, okay, no problem at all. But in the Champions League and with the national team, when it started to be really hard to win, I think he disappeared,” the 1998 World Cup winner said in an interview with the _Mirror_.
“I can’t point the finger at him because he tried everything he could, and he scored many goals, but he didn’t have an impact in the big games, just like in the Champions League. So I think there are a few names ahead of him,” he added.
Petit believes the likes of Rodri, Lionel Messi, and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal have a stronger case for lifting the Golden Ball this year.
“Yamal? He had a great World Cup. You know the rules for the Ballon d’Or have changed so much, just like the rules on the pitch. Rodri has been the best player again during this competition. Messi had a great competition, but he plays for Miami,” he said.
“I know the World Cup is above any title you want with your club. But in the meantime, you have to win the title. Is it going to be a Spanish player? I have no idea. But it’s going to be tough. And in the end, I hope it won’t be a commercial decision,” he concluded.
