Kane delivered a clinical strike and a pinpoint assist in Bayern’s 2‑2 draw with Arsenal on Wednesday, earning him man of the match honors and a flood of praise from Steven Gerrard.
He’s now a single goal shy of matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally. For the tenth straight Champions League outing, Kane found the net, converting a 61st‑minute penalty to put Bayern ahead 2‑1, and earlier threaded a brilliant through‑ball to Alphonso Davies for the opening 1‑0 goal. The performance comes just five days before the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, where he’s among the favorites.
While the debate over this year’s most coveted individual award rages on, Gerrard has steered the conversation in a completely different direction.
“Let’s simply enjoy his greatness, because that’s what he embodies. He may well be the best English player ever, and that’s the highest compliment I can give,” the Liverpool legend told TNT Sports after the match. “When you think of the giants we’ve produced, Kane is unquestionably in the conversation.”
Will Kane finally lift the Ballon d’Or and rewrite England’s football history?
At 33, England’s captain has earned 125 caps (tied with Peter Shilton) and remains the Three Lions’ all‑time top scorer with 91 goals. He won the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot and shared the Euro 2024 top‑scorer award, yet he has yet to lift a major team trophy, despite reaching two Euro finals (2020, 2024) and a World Cup third‑place finish in 2026.
After a decade of brilliance at Tottenham, where he claimed the Premier League golden boot three times, Kane finally broke his silverware drought in 2025, winning the German championship with Bayern Munich. Since ending that spell, the English striker has added another Bundesliga title (2026), a German Cup (2026) and two German Super Cups (2025, 2026). In my view, his club résumé now matches his international pedigree.
With a historic 73 goals across club and country this season, Kane could become the fifth Englishman to claim the Ballon d’Or on Monday. Bookmakers list him as the favorite, though he’s kept a low profile compared with his two main rivals. “Last season was phenomenal, both personally and collectively. It was by far the best season of my life,” he said. This single‑sentence paragraph emphasizes his confidence.