Waddle argues that Harry Kane should not be marked down because Bayern Munich and England fell short of their biggest prizes. Bayern reached the Champions League semi-finals before losing to Paris Saint-Germain, while England did not win the World Cup. Yet Waddle believes Kane’s individual form across club and international football merits serious consideration regardless of those outcomes.
That is a challenge to a voting habit that can make team success the easiest shorthand for individual excellence. A Champions League winner or World Cup champion often enters the debate with momentum; Waddle’s point is that a player’s season should be judged on what he contributed, not simply the medals around him.
Waddle also compares Kane’s case with Lamine Yamal. He acknowledges the winger’s league-winning season with Barcelona, but argues that Yamal’s World Cup displays did not represent his best football and that injuries interrupted his campaign. He suggests a Spain triumph could nevertheless strengthen Yamal’s standing with voters.
That comparison is not a dismissal of Yamal’s talent. It highlights the tension between a brilliant individual season and the boost that comes from being part of a winning team. In Waddle’s view, the award should distinguish the best player from the most decorated contender.
As the 2026 Ballon d’Or conversation develops, Kane’s candidacy will depend on whether voters weigh individual influence as heavily as team honours. The debate around him and Yamal may reveal whether the award celebrates a season’s best performer-or its most successful story.