It was in 1981 that a Bayern Munich player last won the Ballon d’Or. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had the honour of lifting the golden ball twice, in 1980 and 1981. Since then, the likes of Franck Ribery and Robert Lewandowski have come close to being named the ‘Best Player in the World’ by France Football, but fate had other ideas. Fans in Germany and several other parts of the world continue to believe that both Ribery and Lewandowski were unfairly denied the honour. This year, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is being seen by many as the favourite to end the 45-year-old deadlock, and even fans in India are rooting for him in the race against other top stars like Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Rodri, Lionel Messi, etc.
During NDTV’s trip to Germany, Harry Kane admitted that he has a special connection with fans in India. Since he is a big admirer of the Indian Premier League (IPL), his relationship with fans in the Asian subcontinent is unique compared to fans in other parts of the world.
“Thank you very much. You know, I think I have a special relationship with the fans in India. I appreciate all their support. Would love to go out there one day. They know I’m a big IPL fan as well, so I would love to do that. But yeah, as always, appreciate the fans all around the world, and yeah, thank you for all the support in India,” Kane told NDTV in Germany.
When asked about the Ballon d’Or honour and what he feels about it, Kane said that he is focused on winning titles with Bayern, with the UEFA Champions League being the ultimate objective.
“Yeah, look, as I said before, it’s the new season now, and I wanted to start this season with a trophy. I’ve already said last year was incredible on many levels, from a personal level and as a team. Like I said, just falling short in one trophy, but our aim is to push now. We want obviously the Champions League as the big aim going into every season. It’s a long journey ahead, but from our point of view, this is the first of four trophies, and hopefully we can continue,” said Kane, who also led England to the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals over the summer.
Ahead of the Champions League 2026-27 draw, Kane also labelled defending champions Paris Saint-Germain as the favourites.
“I think PSG will be favourites, obviously winning it back-to-back. But of course Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona, all the top teams. You know, you’re at the start. You’re at the bottom of the mountain, it’s a long mountain to climb. A lot of games, eight group games and then obviously the knockout stages. Like I just touched on there, I thought we had a really good campaign last year. We lost to a top PSG side by the finest of margins, so sometimes you have to take that on the chin. But yeah, from day one since I’ve been here, I know since the boys have been here, the boss has got everyone back down to work. Last season is done now, it’s about pushing this year, and obviously that’s a big goal of ours,” he concluded.
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