The 2026 World Cup is fast approaching and we have opened the betting on who will win the Golden Ball.
bet365’s Steve Freeth said: "Fortunately for Harry Kane, you don’t have to win the World Cup to land the Golden Ball award, so he can still be in with a shout if England revert to type!
"He has enjoyed an outstanding season with Bayern Munich, is in with a real chance of winning the UEFA Champions League and is the deserving favourite for the Ballon d’Or.
"If he maintains this form into the World Cup then England could have their first Player of the Tournament award since Bobby Charlton in 1966.
"There is an all-star cast behind Kane in the betting with Lamine Yamal at 8/1 and Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Lionel Messi all priced at 10/1."
Kane will no doubt feel a personal sense of atonement heading into this summer's Finals on the back of two disappointing campaigns with the Three Lions. Kane struggled at Euro 2024, scoring three goals and floundering in the final with Spain, and in the last World Cup, missed a penalty against France to likely send the tie to extra-time.
Interestingly, with the exception of Messi in 2022, it's rare that a World Cup winner actually takes the Golden Ball, which has been officially awarded in its current guise since 1982.
In 2018, Luka Modric's performances for Croatia saw him take the Golden Ball in Russia prior to his Ballon d'Or win later that year; Messi won the first of two Golden Balls in 2014; Diego Forlan's exploits for Uruguay in 2010 saw him pip the likes of Wesley Sneijder, David Villa, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, while Zinedine Zidane won the award in 2006.
Going back further, Oliver Kahn won in 2002 with Ronaldo winning in 1998 despite his no-show in the final. Interestingly, beaten finalists have a better record than winners, with runners-up claiming the award five times to the winners' four. Salvatore Schillaci and Forlan were the only two winners not to reach the final.
