United States males’s nationwide crew head coach Mauricio Pochettino has backed Harry Kane to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, insisting the Bayern Munich striker deserves recognition for his excellent profession and performances over the previous 12 months.
Kane is among the many 30 nominees for this 12 months’s prestigious particular person award after producing one of the vital prolific campaigns of his profession.
Softfootball reported on September 8 that the official 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or had been confirmed, with Kane included alongside a number of of the most important names in world soccer.
Pochettino, who beforehand labored with Kane throughout their time collectively at Tottenham Hotspur, believes the England captain’s achievements make him a worthy winner and insisted that it’s lastly his time to assert the prize.
In response to the USMNT boss, Kane deserves the identical recognition beforehand awarded to legendary gamers corresponding to Luka Modrić, Fabio Cannavaro and Karim Benzema.
My want, I hope sure [he wins it]
Pochettino mentioned of Kane, based on ESPN.
I believe he deserves it because the reward for his profession and for all that he has executed in soccer.
I don’t know if he’s going to be punished for the World Cup or the Champions League as a result of he performed in each semifinals.
Kane loved a exceptional 2025/26 season with Bayern, scoring 61 targets in 51 appearances throughout competitions.
His targets performed a serious function in serving to Vincent Kompany’s aspect safe each the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal, additional strengthening his case for the person award.
The England worldwide additionally carried his goalscoring type onto the worldwide stage, discovering the web six occasions as England completed third on the 2026 World Cup.
These achievements have positioned Kane firmly among the many main contenders for the Ballon d’Or, though he faces fierce competitors from a number of different excellent performers.
The 30-man shortlist consists of stars who loved distinctive seasons at each membership and worldwide stage, making the ultimate vote one of the vital anticipated lately.
Kane’s case is strengthened by his extraordinary goalscoring numbers, silverware with Bayern and his contribution to England’s World Cup marketing campaign.
Nonetheless, Pochettino acknowledged that Kane’s possibilities may doubtlessly be affected by Bayern’s Champions League marketing campaign and England’s World Cup final result, significantly provided that he featured within the semi-final phases quite than successful both competitors.
Nonetheless, the Argentine believes Kane’s total physique of labor deserves to be rewarded.
The Bayern striker will now wait alongside the opposite nominees for the ultimate Ballon d’Or voting, with the soccer world set to find whether or not his exceptional 2025/26 marketing campaign will lastly earn him the most important particular person prize within the sport.
