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Mohamed Saeed

Jamie Carragher fires Tottenham reminder! Liverpool legend insists Harry Kane would never have won the Ballon d'Or at Spurs

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Jamie Carragher has offered a blunt assessment of Harry Kane’s historic Ballon d’Or victory, suggesting the striker would have remained empty-handed had he stayed at Tottenham. The former Liverpool defender believes the England captain’s move to Germany was the essential catalyst for his individual recognition on the world stage.

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A historic victory for England

Kane has officially been crowned the best player on the planet, securing the 2026 Ballon d'Or ahead of superstars Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal. The 33-year-old’s triumph follows a truly remarkable campaign where he found the net 73 times for both club and country, cementing his status as a modern-day icon.

By winning the award, he has become the first Englishman to do so since Michael Owen in 2001, ending a 25-year drought for the Three Lions. The Bayern Munich marksman also collected the European Golden Shoe last season and led England to a third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Former Liverpool defender Carragher was quick to praise the forward for his incredible achievement. "Absolutely delighted. What a career he's had, what a player he is, and as a country, we haven't got enough Ballon d'Or winners," the pundit told Sky Sports. Carragher noted the long wait for an English winner, referencing his former team-mate Owen, while also predicting that Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham could be the next in line to follow in Kane’s footsteps as one of the "greatest players of their era."

The Bayern Munich factor

While the football world celebrates Kane's individual glory, the discussion has naturally turned to his departure from North London in 2023. Since swapping the Premier League for the Bundesliga, the striker has enjoyed an unprecedented run of form, scoring an astonishing 156 goals in just 159 appearances for the Bavarian giants.

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This level of output, combined with Bayern's constant presence in the latter stages of European competitions, provided the platform Kane needed to finally convince the Ballon d'Or voters. Many had previously questioned his decision to walk away from Alan Shearer’s Premier League scoring record, but those doubts have now been silenced by his status as a world number one.

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"I thought he might be obsessed with the Premier League goalscoring record, but he's obsessed with goalscoring records, not just that one," Carragher explained. The pundit argued that playing for a European powerhouse offered the forward the visibility required to win major individual honours. According to Carragher on Kane's Ballon d'Or win, it was a move that the striker simply needed to make to be taken seriously at this level.


No hope at Tottenham

The most biting part of Carragher’s analysis focused on Kane’s former club, Tottenham Hotspur. Despite being the club’s all-time leading scorer and a Premier League legend, Kane never won a major trophy during his lengthy stint in N17. Carragher was adamant that even with the same individual statistics, the lack of collective silverware and Champions League pedigree at Spurs would have prevented Kane from ever winning the Golden Ball.

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"But it also gives him a great chance of winning the Champions League and being involved in Ballon d'Or selections," Carragher added, before delivering his final verdict on the Spurs connection. "There's no way Harry Kane could've won the Ballon d'Or if he was playing for Tottenham."

I began my journalism career in 2011, initially specializing in investigative reporting. This experience allowed me to explore different fields in depth, develop strong analytical skills, and build a solid foundation in journalism. Eventually, I decided to pursue my first passion: football. I went on to cover the Egyptian national teams across all age groups, while expanding my coverage to include the global game and its biggest stories.

My passion for football began on the pitch, where I played for the youth teams of several Egyptian clubs. That early experience shaped my understanding of the game and fueled my desire to follow football at every level. My journey as a fan of the global game dates back to the 1998 FIFA World Cup, alongside a deep-rooted interest in Egyptian domestic football. However, my connection with the game has never been limited to watching matches on television. I have consistently followed my favorite team, Zamalek, from the stands, experiencing the atmosphere, emotions, and intensity of Egyptian football firsthand. As one of the most successful clubs of the 20th century, Zamalek holds a special place in my football journey.

On the European stage, AC Milan has always been my favorite club, largely because of my admiration for legendary players such as George Weah, Paolo Maldini, Gennaro Gattuso, Kaká, Andrea Pirlo, Ronaldinho, and Clarence Seedorf. My appreciation for these football icons has also made watching historic El Clásico encounters between Real Madrid and Barcelona even more enjoyable, allowing me to appreciate the rivalry without taking sides in the endless debates between their supporters. Among all my football memories, one stands above the rest: AC Milan’s redemption against Liverpool in the 2007 UEFA Champions League final, when Filippo Inzaghi scored a historic brace to secure a memorable victory.

Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work with two of the Middle East’s leading sports platforms, Kooora and GOAL.com. These experiences have given me extensive knowledge of both Arab and international football, while allowing me to develop my skills across different areas of sports journalism and digital content. In 2022, I was honored to become a member of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, marking an important milestone in my professional journey. In January 2026, I took another significant step in my career by transitioning to the English-language edition of GOAL.com, broadening my experience in international football journalism and English-language sports content while continuing to pursue my passion for telling the stories that make football the world's game.