Kane's rise - Golden Ball within reach

At 32, he is both a goal machine and a conductor on the pitch, and for the first time in his career, the Ballon d'Or is no longer a distant dream.

From title thirst to dream season

After 15 years of hard work and nothing, Harry Kane finally got to enjoy the feeling of lifting a trophy when Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga last season. But that silver plate did not satisfy him. On the contrary, it seemed to unlock a different version of Kane - a player who was both freed from the burden of trophies and exploded with a greater desire than ever.

By mid-October, Kane had scored 20 goals in 12 games for Bayern in all competitions. He was not only the Bundesliga's top scorer, but also the whole of Europe looked up to him with his phenomenal consistency. At 32, when he should have been slowing down, Kane has reached a new peak - stronger, smarter, more effective.

With 105 goals in 108 games for Bayern, Kane became the fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for a single club in Europe's top five leagues. He averaged a goal every 54 minutes - a rate that even Messi or Ronaldo failed to achieve in their prime.

Kane is no longer Tottenham’s “great runner-up”. In Munich, he is a symbol of victory, the player leading a new generation of Bayern that is resurgent under coach Vincent Kompany.

What makes Kane special is not just the number of goals he scores, but how he scores them and how he plays. When Jamal Musiala suffered a serious injury early in the season, Kompany decided to give Kane freedom of movement - and it was a turning point.

Kane doesn’t just stand in the box waiting for the ball. He drops deep to organize, passes wide, pulls defenders out of position, then suddenly breaks back into the danger zone. Bayern now plays around Kane, not simply “serves” him.

Harry Kane keeps scoring.

Lothar Matthäus, winner of the 1990 Ballon d'Or, commented on Sky Germany: "Kane has redefined the role of a striker, just as Neuer redefined the goalkeeper position. No one is more complete than him at the moment - scoring, passing, pressing, even defending."

Kane's former teammate Kingsley Coman also paid tribute: "Harry makes his teammates better. He enjoys a good pass as much as he enjoys scoring goals - and the magic is that he can do both. A striker who is unselfish and still scores 40+ goals a season - that's rare."

With his tactical vision, ability to read the game and coolness in finishing, Kane is becoming the perfect model for the "new generation striker" - someone who is both a killer and an architect.

Kane has always been praised for his tenacity and professionalism, but this season he has also shown the qualities of a true leader. After each goal, he does not over-celebrate - instead, there are pats on the back, looks to signal teammates to move. Kane knows what Bayern need him to do, and he is ready to take on the responsibility.

Those who once doubted that Kane would slow down at 30 are now forced to admit: he is playing the most complete football in Europe.

Former player Raphael Honigstein described it succinctly: “Kane is playing like three or four players at the same time. He is a striker, a playmaker, a presser and even a spiritual leader. He is irreplaceable.”

Kane shows no signs of slowing down.

What Kane has shown also reflects the evolution of modern football - where a striker must not only score goals but also contribute to the play. Kane does not compete with Haaland or Mbappé on speed or youth, but on intelligence and perfection.

Golden Globe - a dream within reach

Last September, Ousmane Dembele was named the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner. Kane only finished 13th - a surprising ranking, given his impressive form. But since then, Kane has seemed to have a newfound motivation.

He understands that to break the dominance of Messi, Ronaldo or young talents, he needs a "perfect" season: winning the Champions League with Bayern, and winning the 2026 World Cup in the US with England.

“I want to win the Ballon d'Or, of course,” said Kane. “It would be a reward for both individual and team effort. A complete season - that's what I dream of.”

The last English player to win the award was Michael Owen in 2001, after his brilliant performances for Liverpool. Previously, only Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966) and Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979) had done the same.

Over the past two decades, English football has not produced a star who is comprehensive enough, stable enough, influential enough to win the Ballon d'Or. But Kane may be the exception.

Kane is the heavy artillery of Bayern Munich.

Of course, the race isn't just about Kane. Erling Haaland has scored 24 goals in 14 games for Man City and Norway, while Kylian Mbappé has 18 goals in 14 games for Real Madrid and France.

However, as Matthäus stressed: “I have not seen Haaland or Mbappé drop back into the box like Kane. They do not have the 50-meter pass or the delicate chip like him. Kane is a player who can do it all.”

The Ballon d’Or is always associated with collective titles. If Bayern win the Champions League and England win the World Cup, all boundaries between “unsung heroes” and “ world champions” will disappear. And that could be the moment Kane steps up to the podium he deserves.

In Munich, the talk is that Kane is not just scoring for Bayern, he is scoring for the legacy of English football. With three consecutive Champions League wins and England’s perfect World Cup qualifying campaign, the elements are converging to create a “season of destiny”.

Kane was once a symbol of patience - now he's a symbol of perfection. He no longer needs to prove himself, he just needs to keep doing what he does best: playing with brains and heart.

If the 2025/26 season ends with a double and the Ballon d'Or, it will not only be a personal triumph, but also a reward for a 15-year journey of never giving up – a journey of a man who was once doubted, but always believed that “football will reward the faithful.”

Source: https://znews.vn/kane-thang-hoa-qua-bong-vang-trong-tam-tay-post1596160.html