The debate over the Ballon d’Or remains wide open, and Harry Kane continues to be mentioned among the leading contenders after another season filled with goals. However, not everyone believes the Bayern Munich striker deserves to win football’s most prestigious individual award. One of the strongest critics has been former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who believes the England captain has fallen behind in the race because of his performances in the biggest matches for both Bayern Munich and England. Speaking to Sport1, the 1998 World Cup winner explained why, in his opinion, other players have stronger cases to lift the trophy. For Petit, Kane’s remarkable scoring record in the Bundesliga is not enough to automatically make him the world’s best player.
The Frenchman believes the striker failed to make the difference in several of the most decisive matches of the season, both in the UEFA Champions League and at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to Petit, he expected much more influence from the England captain when the pressure was at its highest, particularly during the latter stages of both competitions. Kane’s prolific campaign was nonetheless overshadowed by continued disappointment in Europe’s premier competition, with Bayern being eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final, with the French side going on to retain their title against Arsenal in the final. His summer with England followed a similarly bittersweet pattern, with the captain scoring six goals in seven appearances at the World Cup, yet unable to prevent a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina.
Petit’s criticism of Kane is not solely based on his performances in big games, but also on the fact that other players have had more impressive seasons. The former midfielder ran through several of the tournament’s standout performers, including Yamal, Rodri, and Messi, who all had great competitions. Rodri, in particular, has been impressive, and his performances for Manchester City have made him a strong contender for the award. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe, the France captain, enjoyed another prolific campaign, scoring 58 goals and providing 14 assists, and also claimed the World Cup Golden Boot after finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals.
The Ballon d’Or is an award that often goes to players who have won major trophies, and Kane’s failure to do so may hurt his chances. Only four of the past 19 Ballon d’Or wins have gone to a player who did not triumph in the Uefa Champions League, World Cup, European Championship or Copa America in the same year. Messi accounts for three of those, and Ronaldo the other. This means that the odds are stacked against Kane, as well as other top players like Haaland, Mbappe, Michael Olise, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham. Despite this, the debate over the Ballon d’Or remains wide open, and it will be interesting to see who ultimately claims the award.
In the end, Petit’s comments have added fuel to the fire, and the debate over the Ballon d’Or will continue to rage on. With several top players still in contention, it will be exciting to see who ultimately claims the award. One thing is for sure, though – Harry Kane’s chances of winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or have been dealt a significant blow by Petit’s comments, and he will need to do something special to get back into the running. Kane himself has acknowledged the importance of winning major trophies, saying that even if he scores 100 goals in a season, he won’t win the Ballon d’Or if he doesn’t win the Champions League or the World Cup.
