The battle for the Ballon d’Or is increasingly being fought on a verbal level as well. After Lamine Yamal recently explained why goals and titles shouldn’t automatically be the deciding factors for him, Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl has now responded to the Barcelona star’s comments.
In an interview with Movistar, Yamal explained his personal definition of the world’s best player. While the 19-year-old did not name any specific competitors, his comment about a player with an exceptionally high goal tally could also be interpreted as a reference to Harry Kane.
“I think the Ballon d’Or should go to the best player in the world, period. Not to a player who’s scored 80 goals, because if you score 80 goals, you get the ‘top scorer’ award for it. Those are two very different things that people don’t understand,” Yamal explained.
After FC Bayern’s resounding 7-0 victory over Union Berlin, Eberl was asked about the comments. The sporting director responded succinctly—and couldn’t resist a dig.
Eberl counters Yamal’s remarks
“Of course, you have to campaign. The best players are the ones who don’t need to campaign,” Eberl explained.
While the Bayern boss didn’t formulate a direct attack on Yamal, his message is nonetheless clear in the context of the Ballon d’Or discussion: Eberl doesn’t think much of publicly backing up one’s chances at the prestigious award with arguments.
This also aligns with Kane’s strategy. The Englishman had recently emphasized on several occasions that the decision was not in his hands and that he wanted to focus on his performance on the field.
And that’s exactly where the Bayern striker once again made his case on Friday night.
Kane Makes Bundesliga History Once Again
In the 7-0 win over Union, Kane scored a brace. In the 39th minute, he converted a penalty kick to make it 2-0, thereby reaching a historic milestone.
It was Kane’s 100th Bundesliga goal—and he achieved it in just 98 appearances. With that, the 33-year-old set a new Bundesliga record. After halftime, the Englishman immediately added his 101st goal with a header.
Kane himself, however, didn’t want to make a big deal out of his personal record afterward. “I’m proud to have achieved this. I’ve enjoyed every second since I’ve been here. I can only thank the team and the club for their support,” the forward told Sky after the match.
Bayern star remains humble
The Englishman also remained humble regarding the Ballon d’Or debate after the game: “Ballon d’Or? I don’t like to talk about myself. I focus on my performance on the field. Everyone has their own opinion on that, and that’s fine.”
When asked if he took Lamine Yamal’s comments as a dig at him, Kane remained calm: “I don’t know what he meant by that. Yamal is an incredible player. He had a great season, just like many others—Mbappé, Michael Olise, Rodri. There are plenty of candidates.”
In conclusion, the Bayern striker sums it up: “Everyone has the right to express themselves however they want. That’s none of my business. Personally, I actually quite enjoy it. I’ll just wait and see what happens. I’ll give my best on the field, and then we’ll see.”
With that, Kane remains on course to avoid launching a major campaign or making bold statements. Eberl’s remarks after the Union game likely aimed precisely at that. From the Bayern boss’s perspective, exceptional performances apparently don’t require a big “campaign.”
Instead, Kane continues to make his case on the field—against Union with his 100th and 101st Bundesliga goals.