FC Bayern is publicly campaigning for Harry Kane to be named the new World Player of the Year. A Ballon d’Or win for the Englishman would send an important signal to Munich, especially with regard to Michael Olise.
Harry Kane is in the running for the highest individual honor in world soccer—and he can count on the full support of FC Bayern. Officials in Munich are actively campaigning for their striker and are convinced that the 33-year-old deserves the Ballon d’Or.
Bookmakers now also consider Kane the clear favorite to win the award. Betting providers in the UK currently give the Bayern star a probability of 56 to 62 percent. World Cup champion Lamine Yamal trails with just 16 to 21 percent.
Kane himself makes no secret of how much the award would mean to him. “From my perspective, there’s a chance,” the forward explained. “Ultimately, the decision on the Ballon d’Or isn’t in my hands. I gave it my all last season. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved with this team and also with the national team.”
Eberl, Hainer, and Dreesen are campaigning for Kane
The Bayern bosses are now trying to publicly bolster Kane’s candidacy. Sporting director Max Eberl spoke plainly to Sport BILD: “He’s more than earned the Ballon d’Or. Anyone who loves soccer loves players like Harry Kane,” says the 52-year-old: “Harry Kane scores like a No. 9, thinks like a No. 10, and works like a No. 6. Much like Gerd Müller in his day, he seems to have a fraction more time in every play. He’s a phenomenon, a leader, a strong personality, and he’s been proving just how extraordinary he is for several years now.”
Herbert Hainer also raves about the English national team player. “In a few years, when young strikers are described, they’ll be compared to Harry Kane. He represents the next level for an entire generation of strikers, and as a person, he also shows that professionalism and down-to-earthness aren’t a contradiction,” explains the Bayern president: “Harry Kane embodies the idea that athletic greatness is incomplete without greatness of character. He would be a worthy World Player of the Year.”
Jan-Christian Dreesen goes even a step further and places Kane in the same league as some of the biggest names in the club’s history: “One thing is clear: Anyone talking about this year’s top individual awards can’t ignore Harry Kane. Harry is a global star without any airs and graces and one of the best strikers of the 21st century,” says the chairman of the board.
Dreesen continued: “He is a role model and the epitome of the modern athlete. Gerd Müller, Franz Beckenbauer, and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge won the Ballon d’Or by shaping soccer in their own unique ways. For me, Harry Kane belongs right in that same league.”
The Munich club is also specifically highlighting its star striker. On Wednesday, Kane will receive the Golden Boot as the top European scorer from last season for his 36 Bundesliga goals. The ceremony will take place at the FC Bayern Museum and will be broadcast internationally. This will allow the 100 sports journalists eligible to vote in the Ballon d’Or election to watch the ceremony as well.
A Kane triumph would also send a message to Olise
However, there is more to Bayern’s offensive push than just support for Kane. Having a Ballon d’Or winner on the roster would significantly boost the club’s international profile—and, according to Sport BILD, could also help secure the long-term loyalty of other top stars.
This applies in particular to Michael Olise. The 24-year-old was linked with Real Madrid this summer. From Munich’s perspective, a Ballon d’Or for Kane would demonstrate that a player can achieve the highest possible individual recognition at FC Bayern as well, without having to move to Real Madrid or the Premier League to do so.
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This aspect is particularly interesting in Olise’s case. Before the World Cup, the Frenchman was considered a promising candidate for the Ballon d’Or and, at times, even Kane’s biggest internal rival. However, following France’s disappointing World Cup campaign, his odds with the bookmakers have dropped significantly.
Kane, on the other hand, still has strong arguments in his favor. While competitors like Kylian Mbappé went trophy-less at the club level, the Englishman won the domestic double with Bayern Munich. Even defending champion Ousmane Dembélé is currently considered nothing more than an underdog by the bookmakers.
Bayern is therefore hoping for a historic achievement by their star striker. For Kane, it would be the crowning achievement of his time in Munich so far. For the club, the award could also serve as proof that even the biggest individual honors remain within reach for those wearing the Bayern jersey.