Harry Kane Eyes Ballon d'Or Glory and Future NFL Kicking

Harry Kane stands on the brink of becoming the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or in 25 years. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on October 26, 2026.

Kane's case is built on astonishing, sustained individual brilliance. He smashed a 49-year-old Bundesliga record earlier this month, becoming the fastest player to 100 goals in the competition's history. He needed just 98 games, a staggering 31 fewer than the previous mark held by Dieter Muller. This capped a career-best campaign where he netted 36 times in 31 league matches and added 14 more in 13 Champions League outings for Bayern. He also scored 12 goals for England, including six at the World Cup, where he led the side to the semi-finals. England manager Thomas Tuchel has publicly backed his captain, calling him "the full package" and stating his season of 70-plus goals and three trophies with Bayern fully deserves the award.

While focused on the present, Kane is giving serious thought to a remarkable sporting pivot. The 33-year-old has long admired the NFL and is now actively considering a future as a professional placekicker. He revealed these plans on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, while at England's training camp ahead of their Nations League match against Spain. Kane believes his penalty-taking experience provides a technical and psychological head start. "I take penalties and it is a very similar pressure, technique," he said. He stressed any transition would require dedicated practice, estimating "maybe six months to a year" of serious training before attempting it.

Kane floated a potential pathway that could see him combine both football codes. "Maybe if I am in the MLS in the future or somewhere like that it might be a thing where you could connect the two maybe with the seasons," he explained. This suggests a potential move to Major League Soccer later in his career could provide a platform to train for and potentially trial with an NFL team during the soccer off-season. He confirmed he is "fairly close" to signing a new contract with Bayern Munich, where he is currently in his fourth season, indicating any such transatlantic move remains several years away.

With England preparing for their first camp since the World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, Kane addressed the absence of five players, including Declan Rice and Cole Palmer, who withdrew from Thomas Tuchel's squad. He revealed Rice had sent him a personal voice note explaining his situation. Kane, who has previously stressed that "England comes before club," warned that missing these gatherings costs vital preparation time for the 2028 European Championships. "We spend so much time at club level... You don't get that luxury with international football," he said, emphasizing the importance of every camp for tactical understanding and team cohesion.

• Ballon d'Or Frontrunner: Harry Kane is the leading contender to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or on October 26, which would end a 25-year wait for an English winner. - Record-Breaking Season: He scored 73 goals last season, including a record 100th Bundesliga goal in just 98 games. - Future NFL Ambition: Kane is seriously planning for a career as an NFL kicker after soccer, potentially using a future MLS stint to facilitate the transition.