Harry Kane Sees Himself as Ballon d'Or Contender and Supports Tuchel

Harry Kane believes he is among the leading contenders for the Ballon d'Or following a remarkable season. The England captain also voiced his support for Thomas Tuchel, who has recently faced criticism.

"Considering the trophies I have won this season and the goals I have scored, I would be in the running," the 32-year-old striker told L'Equipe. He added, "Especially if England were to win the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada, you could imagine the trophy going to an English player."

Kane reflected on the favorites before the tournament, stating, "I saw Michael (Olise), the Champions League finalists and myself as the favourites for the award. But I’m not the type to claim I deserve a Ballon d'Or; I let my performances on the pitch do the talking."

The Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on 26 October. Kane remarked, "Perhaps that’s a good omen for me. Winning in my home town would be even more special."

Having scored 61 competitive goals for Bayern, Kane acknowledged, "That’s a pretty crazy tally. Once you hit 60 goals, you’re in the same stratosphere as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Their numbers once felt out of reach to me."

Looking ahead to the World Cup, Kane expressed confidence in the team’s ambitions: "The ambition is, of course, to win. That has to be our goal. We know it will be difficult, but we’ve come close in recent years." England has not won the tournament since 1966.

Regarding Thomas Tuchel, Kane praised the manager despite recent media criticism over his squad choices. "At Bayern, I loved his personality, his ideas for the team and the way he got me playing. In a way, he has transferred his methods to the national team," the striker said.