'He disappeared'- Harry Kane told he has no chance of winning Ballon d'Or as Premier League legend takes aim at England and Bayern star

The high-profile fallout from England’s dramatic World Cup exit has severely damaged Kane's standing in the race for individual footballing honours. Speaking to Mr Gamble, former World Cup winner Petit delivered a scathing assessment of the Bayern Munich striker's seasonal contributions, arguing that Kane’s domestic goalscoring exploits mean very little due to his distinct lack of impact when the absolute highest stakes were on the line.

"Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or chances are over. If you base that only on the German league, okay, no problem at all," Petit said. "But in the Champions League and with the national team, when it started to be really hard to win, I think he disappeared. I can't point the finger at him because he tried everything he could, and he scored many goals, but he didn't have an impact in the big games, just like in the Champions League. So I think there are a few names ahead of him."

Asked to consider who might be better placed to claim the award instead, Petit ran through several of the tournament's standout performers, though he stopped short of naming an outright favourite. "Yamal? He had a great World Cup. You know the rules for the Ballon d'Or have changed so much, just like the rules on the pitch. Rodri has been the best player again during this competition. Messi had a great competition, but he plays for Miami."

Petit acknowledged the World Cup's significance in shaping the conversation, while cautioning against letting outside factors influence the outcome. "I know the World Cup is above any title you want with your club. But in the meantime, you have to win the title. Is it going to be a Spanish player? I have no idea. But it's going to be tough. And in the end, I hope it won't be a commercial decision."

Kane enjoyed arguably the finest season of his career. Across all competitions, the striker scored 61 goals in 51 appearances, including 36 in the Bundesliga alone to finish as the division's top scorer, alongside 14 in the Champions League, 10 in the DFB-Pokal, and one more in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, helping Bayern to a treble of the Bundesliga title, the German Cup and Supercup. His exploits were also recognised on the continental stage with the European Golden Shoe.

That prolific campaign was nonetheless overshadowed by continued disappointment in Europe's premier competition, with Bayern being eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final, with the French side going on to retain their title against Arsenal in the final. His summer with England followed a similarly bittersweet pattern, with the captain scoring six goals in seven appearances at the World Cup, yet unable to prevent a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina that left England to settle for third place after beating France.

Bayern are set to open formal talks with Kane over a contract extension, with the England captain entering the final year of his current deal at the Allianz Arena. According to BBC Sport, the 32-year-old is already aware of the German champions' intention to secure his long-term future, with detailed discussions expected to progress in the coming weeks.

Kane remains fully settled in Bavaria despite continued interest from clubs including Barcelona and Saudi side Al-Hilal, having scored 146 goals and 33 assists in 147 appearances since joining from Tottenham in 2023 and helped the club to two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal during his time there.