Harry Kane explains how his versatility could be the future of football

By Axel Clody | 02 Nov 2026 06:45, Last updated: 02 Nov 2026 06:46

Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or is simply a designation of acold much than a goalscorer. The Bayern Munich and England striker will, of course, beryllium remembered for his 73 goals past season, but adjacent much for his quality to run extracurricular the container astir similar a playmaker.

Even defensively the centre-forward caught the eye, particularly successful a clash with Borussia Dortmund past October, erstwhile helium dropped backmost into midfield and defended successful beforehand of the container with sliding tackles.

Kane says versatility could beryllium the aboriginal of football

In a lengthy interrogation with France Football magazine, which is liable for the grant for the champion subordinate successful the world, published this weekend, the 33-year-old was asked what communicative his triumph would tell. He highlighted precisely his characteristics.

‘People person truly started to spot the full bundle of my game: my passing, my dropping heavy to get the ball, creating abstraction for team-mates, my defending, tracking backmost to assistance the squad and contributing successful antithetic ways. As a No. 9, I bash not deliberation determination are galore strikers susceptible of playing successful truthful galore antithetic positions’ - Kane said.

Kane revealed that his prime distant from the container tin beryllium explained by his acquisition successful midfield and defence arsenic a youngster. ‘That helped maine larn to play successful antithetic positions.’ The Bayern guardant sees this benignant of multi-skilled player, susceptible of playing successful antithetic roles, arsenic the aboriginal of the sport.

‘One time we mightiness play with systems wherever players bash not truly person fixed positions. They volition simply beryllium connected the pitch, capable to accommodate to each situation. Maybe that is however shot should beryllium played, with quality and a bully knowing of the game. I conscionable request to support showing each my qualities astatine the highest level. The aboriginal volition archer however I volition beryllium regarded’ - Kane said.

Harry Kane arrogant that his ‘quieter’ benignant was recognised by the Ballon d’Or

Kane’s grant is besides a connection to those who spot shot lone done dribbles and a subjective ‘magic’.

The Englishman was competing for the prize with Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively successful the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Both person a much eye-catching style, with a repertoire of dribbles, particularly the young Spaniard.

The centre-forward is arrogant that his ‘quiet’ benignant has been rewarded, which reveals an unexpected mode for the France Football voters to measure the candidates. The voters were 100 journalists from the 100 highest-ranked countries successful FIFA’s nationalist squad rankings.

‘I cognize the Ballon d’Or sometimes rewards the subordinate who has thing special, the 1 who tin determine a lucifer with a dribble, with his velocity oregon with a spectacular move. But that is besides what makes this Ballon d’Or truthful peculiar successful my eyes: I person the feeling that the voters understood that shot depends connected galore antithetic things’ - helium said.

‘I cognize I americium not the benignant of subordinate who volition dribble past 10 opponents earlier scoring a goal, but I tin wounded teams successful galore antithetic ways. You besides person to cognize however to assistance the squad wide corners, artifact shots oregon way backmost erstwhile the hostile breaks. [...] I spot this Ballon d’Or arsenic a reward for each those little spectacular aspects of the game, which I americium precise blessed to perform.’

For Kane to beryllium named the champion successful the world, however, it came down to the finest of margins. He finished conscionable 28 points up of Mbappe, the smallest borderline successful the past of the Ballon d’Or. At 33, the England striker is reaching the highest of his career.