"This was my greatest season." Harry Kane said that in the middle of the Ballon d’Or conversation, and Wembley now gives it a proper stage. England meet Spain there on Saturday night, with Lamine Yamal on the other side of the pitch and 100 journalists set to decide the trophy in London next month.

Yamal has made the criteria argument just as loudly. The Barcelona winger said the Ballon d’Or should go to the player of the year who has magic, not just the biggest goal tally, and he named Messi and Ronaldinho as the sort of players who fit that mould. He also said, "I think I deserve it this year because of what I’ve won. For me, Mbappe and I are the best in the world. Everyone who watches the matches knows it."

Kane's case and Yamal's argument

Kane's numbers are the blunt part of the case. He has 6 goals in 7 appearances for England this season, and 85 in total for his country. At Bayern he has 152 goals in 154 games, which is why his line about this being his greatest season carries more weight than a routine self-assessment.

Yamal's appeal is different. He has 7 goals and 4 assists in La Liga, so the style argument is backed by end product as well as reputation. That is why this feels less like a normal international fixture and more like a late audition for a vote that will be shaped by what happens in big games and what kind of football people want to reward.

England's bigger problem against top sides

There is a second layer here for England, because elite opposition has not been their comfort zone. They have won 6 of their past 15 matches against sides ranked in the world top 10, and they have been eliminated every time they have faced a top-10 ranked nation in the knockout stages of the World Cup since 1998. In their past 10 World Cup games against top-10 sides, their only win came against Argentina in the 2002 group stage.

Kane's own view of England's answer is familiar, but not empty. He said the team need to be themselves in the biggest moments and hopefully get over the line. Thomas Tuchel is trying to shape that approach as well, but he may have to rotate because England face 4 matches in 11 days.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →