Ballon d’Or 2026: He’s Leading Contender – Lothar Matthäus Names Player Who Deserves Award Most

Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthäus has backed Harry Kane to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, describing the England captain as the player who deserves the prestigious award the most.

Matthäus believes Kane has the strongest case because of his consistency throughout the year and the fact that he did not experience a prolonged poor run of form.

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Speaking to Sky Germany, the former Bayern midfielder said the Ballon d’Or should be judged based on a player’s performances throughout the entire year rather than one competition.

“For me, Harry Kane is the leading contender for the Ballon d’Or. I look at the entire year, not just one game or one World Cup,” Matthäus said.

He acknowledged the achievements of other leading candidates, including Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, but argued that no single player from Spain’s World Cup-winning team stood clearly above the rest.

Matthäus also discussed Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, noting that Messi won the MLS with Inter Miami and scored eight goals at the World Cup but missed two penalties.

He added that Mbappé reached the World Cup semi-finals with France but failed to win a major trophy with Real Madrid, while Jude Bellingham faced a similar issue with England.

According to Matthäus, Kane’s failure to reach the World Cup and Champions League finals remains the main weakness in his case.

However, the Bayern striker won two domestic trophies with the German club and maintained a consistently high level throughout the year.

“Kane won two domestic titles with Bayern Munich. The fact that he failed to reach the final at both the World Cup and in the Champions League is the only blemish.

“Otherwise, he has produced outstanding performances and, in my opinion, didn’t go through a single poor spell,” he said.

Matthäus also praised Kane and Manchester City midfielder Rodri for allowing their performances on the pitch to speak for them rather than attracting attention away from football.

“For me, Kane is the player who deserves the Ballon d’Or the most,” he concluded.

Matthäus’ latest comments come only weeks after he previously backed Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or.