Is Kane Able?

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Credit: Jeff Spicer - UEFA

By Robbie Naughton

When Harry Kane held up the Ballon d’Or trophy, he became the first Englishman to win the award since 2001.

The Bayern Munich striker has received praise from Prime Minister, Andy Burnham for winning the prestigious award and there has been talks of a Knighthood.

But does Kane deserve the award over runner-up, Kylian Mbappe?

Mbappe has been a star player for many years, being a nominee for the Ballon d’Or nine times and even went on record to say this was a “good year” for him. But still the Ballon d’Or eludes him.

The 27-year-old Real Madrid forward is at his prime age and netted a total of 42 goals in the 25/26 season.

At the age of 33, Kane has experience over Mbappe and performed phenomenally, blowing Mbappe out of the water with a whopping 61 goals.

However, the Ballon d’Or is not simply about scoring goals. Team success, consistency and a player’s overall presence on the pitch all play a part.

Bayern Munich won both the Bundesliga title and DFB Cup last season. Kane’s help securing those wins likely cemented him as one of the most influential players.

But it would be unfair to ignore Mbappe’s achievements throughout the season, as he has proved himself as a key player.

Mbappe has shown himself to be versatile on the pitch with impressive 1-on-1 skills, remarkable speed and textbook footwork.

The Real Madrid player has won several awards such as, the Golden Boot, the UEFA Champions league’s top scorer award, and securing 48.2% of votes for the Onze d’Or.

Both players show remarkable skill and it’s understandable why there has been heated debates over the award ceremony.

However, even if it makes Mbappe unhappy it seems Harry Kane is deserving of his trophy.