The debate over the Ballon d’Or continues to gain momentum. After Lamine Yamal recently sparked discussion with his comments, Bayern President Herbert Hainer has now weighed in as well. During the record-holding champion’s traditional Oktoberfest visit, the 72-year-old made it clear who he sees as the frontrunner in the voting.
Yamal had previously stated that, in his opinion, the Ballon d’Or should go to the best player in the world and not automatically to the one with the most goals. The Barcelona star did not mention Harry Kane by name, but his comments were widely interpreted as a possible dig at the Bayern striker.
Hainer has now highlighted Kane’s exceptional performances last season.
Hainer lists Kane’s achievements
“Harry Kane scored 60 goals in the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, and the Champions League; he became German champion, won the DFB-Pokal, reached the Champions League semifinals, and had a very good World Cup,” the Bayern president explained during his visit to Oktoberfest.
Kane won the double with FC Bayern last season and also secured several individual awards for his performances. Among other honors, the Englishman was named Germany’s Soccer Player of the Year and once again awarded the Golden Boot as Europe’s top scorer.
For Hainer, it is therefore clear that Kane has earned more than enough recognition for the prestigious award.
“I don’t know what more you’d have to do to win the Ballon d’Or.”
“It has to be Harry Kane.”
The Bayern president also addressed Yamal directly. While Hainer acknowledged the 19-year-old’s qualities, he left no doubt as to his personal choice.
“Lamine Yamal is certainly a very good player and has a bright future ahead of him, but when you take everything from last season into account, there’s only one winner—and that has to be Harry Kane.”
Kane himself is taking a much more reserved approach to the discussion. After the 7-0 win over Union Berlin, the 33-year-old said: “I don’t want to talk much about myself. I let my play on the field do the talking. Everyone is different.”
That’s exactly where the striker recently provided his next piece of evidence. Against Union, Kane scored his 100th and 101st Bundesliga goals. He needed just 98 appearances to reach his first 100 goals, setting a new Bundesliga record in the process.
So while Kane himself is refraining from a public “campaign,” Bayern’s officials are apparently taking on that role. Following Max Eberl and Uli Hoeneß, Hainer has now also taken a clear stance—and unequivocally expressed his personal preference for the Ballon d’Or vote.