Kane admits England’s World Cup victory will boost Ballon d’Or chances

Harry Kane has turned his attention to the Ballon d’Or, saying he believes he could be among the favorites if he leads England to world championship good luck this summer.

The England captain arrives at the tournament in superb form after another prolific season with Bayern Munich, scoring 61 goals in all competitions and ending the campaign with a DFB-Pokal final hat-trick as Vincent Kompany’s side secured the domestic double.

Thomas Tuchel’s England squad have begun assembling in Florida for their pre-tournament training camp, with Kane key to their hopes of ending the nation’s long wait for a major trophy.

Kane thinks about Ballon d’Or chances

Kane admitted that lifting the World Cup for England would greatly strengthen his case for football’s most prestigious individual award, but insisted that personal accolades were not his focus.

« The Ballon d’Or if we win the World Cup? I will certainly be among the favourites, » he said in an interview with L’Equipe.

« Given the trophies I’ve won this season and the number of goals I’ve scored, I’d be in the running.

« Especially since, if England win the World Cup, we can imagine that the trophy will go to an English player.

« But at the same time, I’m not one of those people who claim to deserve the Ballon d’Or. I try to let my performance on the pitch speak for itself. »

Kane also named his Bayern team-mate Michael Olisse among those he believes will be in the wider conversation about the award depending on how the tournament plays out.

England are confident under Tuchel

England travel to the tournament with renewed expectations under Tuchel, who is tasked with guiding the team to their first major trophy since 1966.

Kane has previously worked under Tuchel at club level and speaks positively of the influence the German coach has had on his game and the direction of the team.

« At Bayern I liked his personality, his ideas about the team and the way he made me play. In a way, he brought those methods to the national team, » he said.

England’s long road to silverware

England have come close in recent tournaments, reaching the finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, along with a World Cup semi-final in 2018 and a quarter-final in 2022.

Kane says the record shows progress but also highlights the challenge ahead as a new cycle begins with a revamped squad and coaching set-up.

« The ambition is to win it (the World Cup), obviously that has to be our aim, » he said.

« We know it will be difficult, but in recent years we have come close to winning a major tournament.

« This year we will have a new coach, new players. It’s exciting – even if this kind of competition creates a lot of tension. »