England's World Cup hopes rest almost entirely on Harry Kane's shoulders - and Three Lions captain looks ready to carry the burden after Ballon d'Or-worthy season

There is little doubt that Kane is in contention to become the first Englishman to win a Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen a quarter of a century ago, and that may not even be contingent on the Three Lions lifting the trophy in North America.

At the ripe old age of 32, Kane delivered what was comfortably the best goal-scoring campaign of his abundant career to date, incredibly passing the 60-goal mark courtesy of hat-tricks on the final day of another title-winning Bundesliga season and in the DFB-Pokal showpiece. He bagged 36 of his strikes in the league, adding another 14 in the Champions League.

Bayern would fall short in Europe's premier club competition, but the striker would claim the Golden Shoe as the continent's top scorer by some distance, finishing nine and 11 goals ahead of closest challengers Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, respectively - two of the world's best strikers.

His return of 61 efforts places him in the all-time top five for most goals in a European season in all competitions, and he could hardly be heading to the World Cup in better form.

However, ending England's 60 years of hurt would send him into another stratosphere, all-but guaranteeing that he will get his hands on a prestigious Golden Ball, with the ceremony perhaps fatefully moved to London in honour of the great Sir Stanley Matthews, who was the inaugural winner 70 years ago.

As usual, though, Kane is keeping a level head despite the fact that immortality may beckon.

"I'd probably say I'll be up there for sure," he told L'Equipe recently when asked about his chances of Ballon d'Or success. "With the season I've had, I think with winning the three trophies, the numbers I've reached, I think I'll be in that conversation. If I win the World Cup on top of that, you would imagine it would be one of the England players.

"When you look at some of the past winners of the Ballon d'Or, for sure it comes down to the big games, the big tournaments, and you add that on top of what I've achieved this year, I think I'll be up there.

"I think you're starting to hear the noise about the players who are maybe favourites for the Ballon d'Or at the moment, maybe me and Michael [Olise] and some of the players who were Champions League finalists. So it's been an incredible season. I'm not the type of guy who wants to say I deserve the Ballon d'Or. I try and do my talking on the pitch."

Kane will have the added motivation of potentially creating more history in North America, albeit it may only be an outside chance. If he can carry his club form into the tournament, then he just might be able to match Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup goal record of 16, especially with the added knockout round at the expanded 48-team event. He will hope to fill his boots against Panama and Ghana in the group phase, wile a relatively weaker opponent should await in the last 32.

The England captain has quietly moved onto eight strikes - alongside Cristiano Ronaldo - through his exploits in 2018 and 2022, and he will back himself to at least close the gap significantly in what is likely to be his final World Cup. Matching or surpassing Klose's tally isn't out of the question - though Lionel Messi (13 goals) or Kylian Mbappe (12) could well get there first.

"The one for me would be amazing, but I'm a little bit far away at the moment," Kane told L'Equipe. "It's the most World Cup goals (Miroslav Klose, 16). But maybe the most World Cup goals by an English player. It's 10 by Gary Lineker, and I'm on eight right now. So I have a good World Cup, I'll be able to pass Lineker in that aspect.

"These are all little things that would be great to do along the way. If we're breaking those records, it means the team's doing well and we're probably winning games. So that's the most important thing."

Kane will be returning to the World Cup stage for the first time since England's underwhelming quarter-final exit at the hands of France in 2022, a match that was punctuated by a rare penalty miss from the Three Lions skipper in what proved to be the defining moment.

It was a disappointing tournament for the striker overall, who was more of a creator than a goal-scorer, netting just twice in Qatar before his skied spot-kick with just six minutes left on the clock consigned his country to what felt like a premature exit. Kane, though, believes he has improved as a result.

"It was personally a real tough moment in my career to go through," Kane said in a recent interview with FIFA. "For sure, I had to be mentally really strong to come through that - and I did. I almost felt like it made me a better player in the end."

Kane will have to shoulder the expectations of a nation once again three-and-a-half years on. His goals will be crucial to England's cause, and if he isn't firing, the Three Lions are unlikely to end their agonising wait for a major trophy. It's undeniable that there will be a hell of a lot of pressure on the captain alone.

Kane will, though, have a supporting cast of attacking players who can make the difference in big moments, most notably Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers - although the former two have not had their most impactful seasons at club level.

Thomas Tuchel's hugely contentious squad selection has also shorn the group of a number of forward players would arguably have been capable of popping up with the kind of game-changing contributions that are so vital in tournament football, even if it was from the bench. In the absence of attackers like Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White, the onus may well be on Kane and, to a lesser extent, Bellingham to deliver every time they step onto the pitch.

The other most significant threat to Kane, and therefore England's chances of success, is the possibility that a gruelling club season catches up with the captain in the blistering heat of North America.

At Euro 2024, the striker arrived at the tournament off the back of a prolific debut season with Bayern, but he looked like a shadow of the player who had torn up the Bundesliga when he was back in Germany in his national team colours, often lumbering around isolated at the top end of the pitch as the fatigue really showed.

That said, even when lacking his usual sharpness, Kane was able to score crucial goals in the group stage, round of 16 and semi-finals as he turned his hand to penalty-area poaching. But much more was expected of the Three Lions' talisman.

Kane turns 33 shortly after the conclusion of the tournament having featured in more games in the 2025-26 club season than he did two years ago (51 vs 45), although in terms of minutes he has only played marginally more (116). A whole nation will hope and pray he is physically up to the significant challenge that awaits at the World Cup.

Something is different about Kane this time around, though; he is a different animal, having found a whole other level at Bayern to take the title of best striker in the world at the age of 32. There is a sense that he won't let this opportunity pass him by.

Speaking to FIFA recently, the England captain said: "The bottom line is this is what you dreamed of as a kid, and I think it's easy sometimes to get here [to the World Cup] and then maybe fear the occasion or fear failing, but that's part of life.

"This is what we live for. That's why we're on the pitch, that's why we train every day, to have this opportunity and to express ourselves in that moment. It's obviously easier said than done, but that's where maybe experienced players like me can help some of the younger players to just feel free.

"Ultimately, it's a short career, and you don't get to play in many major tournaments, so why waste it having fear? Just go out there and express yourself."

He added to L'Equipe: "The ambition is to win it, obviously, that has to be our goal."