news-engine

Speaking to Sport1, former French international Emmanuel Petit argued against Harry Kane winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or. "Following this World Cup, Harry Kane's chances for the Ballon d'Or have diminished," the 55-year-old explained. "If you base it purely on the Bundesliga, he would certainly be a candidate. But in the Champions League and with the national team, whenever things got really tight, he mostly disappeared." Petit had several examples ready to back up his claim. "Harry completely went missing in the semi-final second leg against PSG," he analyzed. "There was more to be had there. After such an outstanding season, it’s a real shame. It was the same story at the World Cup: he started very strongly, but from the quarter-finals onward, he gave the impression that he lacked both the necessary energy and a bit of luck."The former France international had the examples ready: "Harry went completely missing against PSG in the semi-final second leg," Petit said. Is it enough for the Ballon d'Or? Kane's outstanding goalscoring record In the Bundesliga, Kane was crowned top scorer for the third consecutive season, netting 36 times. The 33-year-old was also on target ten times in the DFB-Pokal, helping Bayern secure the title in both domestic competitions. He proved his goalscoring prowess in the Champions League as well, tallying 14 goals in 13 matches. In the semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, he scored to temporarily give his team a 1-0 lead during a spectacular 5-4 first-leg defeat. In the second leg, however, he only managed to find the net in stoppage time, and his 1-1 equalizer wasn't enough to prevent Bayern's elimination. Getty Images A bitter World Cup for Kane — but also for his rivals Kane's World Cup journey also ended agonizingly short of the final. In dramatic fashion, the Three Lions squandered a late lead against Argentina in the semi-finals, meaning their agonizing wait for a first World Cup title since 1966 continues. Although Kane scored six goals in the tournament, he was unable to add to his tally after the round of 16 against Mexico. Despite these setbacks, there have been plenty of voices advocating for Kane to become Bayern Munich's first Ballon d'Or winner in 45 years. Petit himself remains unsure exactly who should take the trophy instead: "I think there will be a few names ahead of him, although the race should remain tight until the very end—especially since favorites like Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, and Michael Olise also disappointed towards the end of the World Cup."