"My performances make me a credible candidate" - Harry Kane makes honest Ballon d'Or admission in new interview

Bayern Munich and England icon Harry Kane has shared his thoughts on the possibility of his emergence as the Ballon d'Or winner for 2025. The former Tottenham Hotspur striker is one of the best strikers of his generation, having scored tons of goals everywhere he has played.

Kane spoke at an interview with L'Equipe about how his decision to leave Tottenham for Bayern Munich has been rewarded within a year by his Ballon d'Or gala invitation. He had been awarded the Gerd Muller Trophy alongside Kylian Mbappe for scoring the most goals in Europe in 2024.

"This trophy validates my career choice, that of leaving my country for the first time at the age of 30. And it allowed me to come for the first time to the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet to attend the presentation of all these prestigious awards. I'm hoping to come back perhaps to win an even more prestigious one," Kane said.

The England captain also answered in the affirmative when asked if he thinks he has a chance of winning the Ballon d'Or. He pointed out that his performances for club and country suffice for him to be in conversations about winning the prestigious award.

"Of course I'm thinking about it! And, why not say it, I believe in it. I feel like my performances make me a credible candidate. I continue to progress, I play in teams, whether it's Bayern or England, that are natural contenders for big victories. So, with my individual performances and a major collective victory like the Champions League, why couldn't I believe in my chances?" he added.

The 31-year-old admitted that he has dreamed of winning the award since he was younger. He also praised the impact of the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly on the perception of the award.

"I have dreamed of the Ballon d'Or since I was little and even more so with the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo period which has given an even greater shine to this generation. Who knows if in 2025 we will not see each other again for another interview?"

Harry Kane has been one of the most impressive strikers in the 21st century, becoming the record goalscorers for both Tottenham and the English national team. He also scored 44 goals in 45 games for Bayern Munich in his debut season and has 21 goals in 21 appearances this season.

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Real Madrid legend tips star for Ballon d'Or win

Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema has tipped star forward Vinicius Jr as a future Ballon d'Or winner in an interview with Marca. The French striker met up with the Real Madrid squad ahead of their Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Mallorca in Saudi Arabia.

The 2022 recipient of the award revealed the advice he gave to Vinicius Jr following his disappointment last year.

“That he shouldn’t pay attention, that he shouldn’t lower his intensity at all because he is the best in the world and one day he will win the Ballon d’Or.”

Vinicius Jr narrowly missed out on becoming the first Brazilian player since Kaka in 2007 to receive the award, losing out to Manchester City star Rodri. The 24-year-old picked up FIFA's The Best Men's Player of the Year award in Qatar in December, beating Rodri to the award.

Vinicius Jr has started the 2024-25 season in fine form, helping the Spanish giants win the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup. He helped his side to reach the final of the Spanish Super Cup, and will be keen to lead them to another piece of silverware, this time against Barcelona.