England captain Harry Kane has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or, recognizing his record-breaking 73-goal season for club and country. Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich, scored 61 goals for the German club and 12 for England. His goal tally significantly surpassed notable seasons by players like Gerd Muller, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Erling Haaland.
Bayern Munich secured the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal with Kane's contributions. Internationally, he helped England achieve a third-place finish at the World Cup over the summer. Kane's 73 goals in the 2025-26 season place him second only to Lionel Messi's 82 goals in the 2011-12 season among top individual goal-scoring performances for club and country.
Kane is currently the bookmakers' favorite to win the award, with odds favoring him over competitors like Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Spain's Rodri. He acknowledged that the outcome is now in the hands of the voters.
"The season I had was my best season by far, and we'll have to wait and see. I'm happy that I am in contention, so we'll have to wait and see,” Kane stated.
If Kane wins, he would join a distinguished list of English Ballon d'Or recipients, including Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan, and Michael Owen. He faces significant competition from fellow England teammates Jude Bellingham, who also received a nomination, and potentially others named on the shortlist.
Other notable nominees include Lionel Messi, who has been nominated for a 16th time, and players from the Premier League such as Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland, Gabriel, and Declan Rice. The Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for Monday, October 26, in London.
In addition to the men's award, Premier League champions Arsenal are nominated for Team of the Year, and manager Mikel Arteta is a contender for Manager of the Year. Spain's World Cup-winning coach Luis De La Fuente and PSG's Luis Enrique are also among the manager nominees. Aston Villa's Unai Emery and Bayern Munich's Vincent Kompany round out the manager list.
The women's Ballon d'Or nominations include Lionesses Alex Greenwood and Alessia Russo. Manchester City players Bunny Shaw, Kerstin Casparij, Yui Hasegawa, and Vivianne Miedema are also nominated, alongside Alexia Putellas, who is seeking her third award after winning the Champions League with Barcelona.