Jamie Carragher has taken a shot at Tottenham after their former striker Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or after an unbelievable season with Bayern Munich.
Kane has become the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to win the Ballon d’Or. It comes after he bagged 73 goals for club and country in the last season, reaching the World Cup semi-final with England and comfortably winning the Bundesliga.
Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal had been telling the press they felt their own chances of lifting football’s most prestigious award were very good, but the weight of Kane’s goals and the impact they had on his sides prevailed.
Sky Sports pundit Carragher feels playing for Bayern instead of former club Tottenham was a big help for Kane.
He said: “I thought he might be obsessed with the Premier League goalscoring record, but he’s obsessed with goalscoring records, not just that one.
“But it also gives him a great chance of winning the Champions League and being involved in Ballon d’Or selections.
“There’s no way Harry Kane could’ve won the Ballon d’Or if he was playing for Tottenham.”
Kane racked up 213 Premier League goals while playing for Spurs but the club did not consistently push for titles, which the striker has five of with Bayern.
Harry Kane one of the greats
Carragher also feels that Kane is one of the greatest players of his generation.
He said: “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.
“It’s certainly been a long time. My former team-mate Michael Owen was the last to win it in 2001, so it’s been a long wait.
“But in terms of Harry Kane, and I think Jude Bellingham, who’s going to be a future Ballon d’Or winner, we do have two of the greatest players of their era.
“I’m delighted for Kane and the country.”
England boast only five Ballon d’Or winners, with Kane and the aforementioned Owen the most recent.
Before them, Kevin Keegan won it twice, and Stanley Matthews and Bobby Charlton once each.
It puts Kane among an elite group, and that his England side confirmed the Three Lions’ second best World Cup finish, picking up the bronze medal in 2026, certainly helped matters.
The striker scored six goals in the tournament, taking his total World Cup tally to 14 goals.