Harry Kane: Why Real Madrid Champions League tie could make or break his Ballon d’Or hopes

No participant in Europe comes near matching Harry Kane’s goalscoring file this season – however could an premature ankle drawback scupper his Ballon d’Or possibilities?

The Englishman has scored 53 instances in 45 appearances for membership and nation this time period however is aware of objectives alone will not be sufficient to land the award, which is why he will be desperate to be fit for Bayern Munich’s crunch Champions League recreation towards Real Madrid on Tuesday (20:00 BST).

Kane, who missed Saturday’s dramatic 3-2 victory at Freiburg due to the harm, ended his trophy drought by profitable the Bundesliga final season, however extra home honors in Germany will not safe him soccer’s most prestigious particular person prize.

Rightly or wrongly, the Ballon d’Or is not merely a case of rewarding brilliance alone. It is more and more a prerequisite to additionally being a part of a workforce that lands one of many recreation’s greatest titles – the Champions League, World Cup or a continental equal such because the European Championship.

Kane will get two bites on the cherry this 12 months, captaining England on the World Cup in the summertime, however his first – and arguably greatest – likelihood comes with Bayern.

The Bavarians have been in scintillating type this season, profitable 37 of 43 video games, however will want their talisman match and firing as their European credentials are examined in a quarter-final first leg on the Bernabeu.

“I could score 100 goals this season, but if I don’t win the Champions League or the World Cup, you’re probably not going to win the Ballon d’Or,” Kane stated in November. “It’s the same with any player. You have to be winning those major trophies.”

History suggests he’s proper. Since 2006, nearly 80% of Ballon d’Or winners have claimed the accolade in a 12 months when additionally they lifted both the Champions League or a serious worldwide match, such because the World Cup, Euros or Copa America.

Only two gamers have defended that pattern up to now 20 years and each are all-time greats who could be thought of outliers. Lionel Messi gained the award in 2010, 2012 and 2019 regardless of Champions League semi-final exits for his Barcelona aspect, with Cristiano Ronaldo taking the prize in 2013, when Real Madrid bowed out of the competitors on the similar stage.