Ballon d’Or: Kane's record exposes a calendar flaw

The official Ballon d’Or website highlighted Harry Kane's performance, who reached one hundred goals in the Bundesliga, while raising the issue of the voting calendar. On one side, the impressive record; on the other, the evaluation period already closed.

A record set in record time

The Bayern striker passed the hundred‑goal mark in only ninety‑eight matches, versus one hundred twenty‑nine for the former record holder, Dieter Müller. This feat puts him at the top of all players who have played in the Bundesliga.

The Ballon d’Or website published, on Monday, a new feature dedicated to Kane, highlighting that this performance strengthens his candidacy among the thirty nominees. The article directly links the record to the Englishman's current form.

The calendar, however, raises questions: Kane's brace against Union Berlin belongs to the 2026‑2027 season, while the evaluation period for the men's Ballon d’Or ended on July 19, after the World Cup final. The new goals therefore cannot be officially counted in his dossier.

Kane now states his ambition to win the Ballon d’Or, while the Spanish juror José Félix Díaz acknowledges that it is difficult to ignore post‑reference‑period performances before the ballots are sent, scheduled for September 28.

The German record will not be included in Kane's official sporting summary, but it may strengthen the impression of his candidacy. No evidence allows accusing the organizers of favoring the player, the website regularly publishing content on all candidates.

This contrast reveals a weakness in the calendar: jurors must ignore performances they have just seen, even as the official platform highlights them, thus creating a tension between real merit and the temporal framework of the vote.