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France and Premier League legend Emmanuel Petit has sharply ended Harry Kane’s hopes of winning the Ballon d'Or, saying the striker “disappeared” when the pressure rose for both club and country. The former midfielder said that even though Kane’s goal numbers in Germany are strong, his inability to deliver in the decisive knockout games of the Champions League and the 2026 World Cup means he is behind Europe’s top players.

Kane's big game struggles questioned

The major reaction to England’s dramatic World Cup exit has badly hurt Kane’s position in the race for individual football awards. Speaking to Mr Gamble, former World Cup winner Petit gave a harsh verdict on the Bayern Munich striker’s season, saying Kane’s domestic scoring record means very little because he made so little difference when the stakes were at their highest.

“Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or chances are over. If you base that only on the German league, okay, no problem at all,” Petit said. “But in the Champions League and with the national team, when it started to be really hard to win, I think he disappeared. 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.”

Petit weighs up the leading contenders

When asked who could be better placed to win the award instead, Petit spoke about several of the tournament’s standout names, though he did not pick a clear favourite. “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.”

Petit accepted the importance of the World Cup in shaping the debate, but warned against allowing outside influences to decide the result. “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.”

A bittersweet season for Kane

Kane had what can be described as the best season of his career. Across all competitions, the striker scored 61 goals in 51 appearances, including 36 in the Bundesliga alone to finish as the division’s top scorer, along with 14 in the Champions League, 10 in the DFB-Pokal, and one more in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, helping Bayern complete a treble of the Bundesliga title, the German Cup and Supercup. His performances were also rewarded on the continental stage with the European Golden Shoe.

Even so, that hugely productive campaign was still clouded by further disappointment in Europe’s biggest club competition, with Bayern going out to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final, before the French side retained their crown against Arsenal in the final. His summer with England followed a similarly mixed pattern, with the captain scoring six goals in seven appearances at the World Cup, yet still unable to stop a 2-1 semi-final loss to Argentina that left England to finish third after beating France.

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Bayern move to secure Kane's long-term future

Bayern are preparing to begin formal talks with Kane over a contract extension, with the England captain entering the final year of his current deal at the Allianz Arena. According to BBC Sport, the 32-year-old already knows that the German champions want to secure his long-term future, and detailed talks are expected to move forward in the coming weeks.

Kane remains fully settled in Bavaria despite continued interest from clubs including Barcelona and Saudi side Al-Hilal, having scored 146 goals and 33 assists in 147 appearances since arriving from Tottenham in 2023 and helping the club win two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal during his time there.