Why Harry Kane Was Harshly Overlooked in 2025 Ballon d’Or Vote

Harry Kane underlined his elite status once again on Tuesday night by scoring twice in Bayern Munich’s 5-1 demolition of Pafos in the Champions League.

Those goals took him to 17 in just nine games for Bayern this season, building on a brilliant scoring run since his £100m move from Tottenham in August 2023. In total, Kane has hit 102 goals in 105 Bayern appearances, with double figures for assists in each of his first two full seasons too.

His output for England also remains elite. He has netted 74 goals in 109 caps, making him his country’s all-time top scorer by distance.

Yet when the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings were announced last week, Kane was nowhere near the podium.

He finished 13th, collecting just 112 points — a massive 1,268 fewer than winner Ousmane Dembele, and even 99 fewer than Cole Palmer, who came eighth and was the highest-ranked Englishman.

It continues a pattern of being perennially close, but never truly in contention.

Harry Kane’s recent Ballon d’Or rankings

• 13th in 2025
• 10th in 2024
• 19th in 2023
• 21st in 2022
• 23rd in 2021

Kane is paying the price for something most footballers would envy — relentless consistency.

Harry Kane’s consistency curse

Kane’s problem is not output, but perception. He’s been averaging over 30 goals a season for more than a decade, which makes his brilliance feel routine rather than remarkable.

There is far more excitement — and therefore narrative power — in a sudden explosion of form.

Take Dembele. In the seven seasons before 2024/25, he averaged 6.5 goals a year. Then, almost out of nowhere, he hit 35 goals in one campaign. That kind of spike creates headlines, shifts perception and gives voters a fresh story to get behind.

Football awards are emotional and reactive. Kane, by contrast, delivers 30 to 40 goals every season with such metronomic regularity that it stops registering as extraordinary. His brilliance is expected rather than celebrated — and that makes it far easier to ignore when votes are cast.

Why Ronaldo and Messi didn’t have the same problem

Consistency didn’t hurt Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who won 13 Ballons d’Or between them from 2008 to 2023.

But they were operating with two advantages Kane has never fully had. They weren’t just elite goalscorers — they were global marketing powerhouses playing for the biggest clubs in the world, winning the biggest trophies year after year. Being at Barcelona and Real Madrid during dominant eras meant their numbers came with glamour, silverware and storytelling built in.

Kane, by contrast, spent the bulk of his peak years at Tottenham — respected, but not a global machine.

As a personality, many still see him as understated, even dull, despite his output being world-class. Another Kane hat-trick? Boring!

Timing and trophies matter

A move to Bayern in his 30s has finally given Kane the platform of a superclub — but it came late. Had he joined Barcelona, Real Madrid, or even one of the Manchester teams a decade earlier, he might already have multiple major honours and personal awards.

Of course, trophies remain a huge factor. Three of the last four Ballon d’Or winners came from Champions League-winning clubs.

Kane won his first career trophy only last season with the Bundesliga title.

What Harry Kane needs to do to win a Ballon d’Or

If Bayern win the Champions League thanks to his goals this season, Kane will be impossible to ignore.

But if he finishes with 50 goals and Bayern fall in the semi-finals, history suggests he’ll have yet another mid-table finish in the Ballon d’Or vote — respected, but overlooked.