Harry Kane has been named the leading Ballon d’Or candidate by Oliver Kahn, Michael Ballack, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Christoph Kramer and Lothar Matthaus, while Joachim Low selected Kylian Mbappe and Felix Magath placed Marc Cucurella first.
Kahn’s top three were Kane, Lamine Yamal and Mbappe. He said Kane’s influence extended beyond his goals.
“He not only scores crucial goals but also leads the team. Therefore, he deserves this trophy,” Kahn said.
Kahn described Yamal as “an excellent player who has won championships at a young age”, but added that the Barcelona player “hasn’t fully demonstrated his influence at the World Cup”.
Mbappe was third on Kahn’s list. “He is a star who consistently scores in various competitions, which speaks to his ability,” he said. “However, the Frenchman did not win any trophies last season.”
Ballack also ranked Kane first, ahead of Yamal and Michael Olise.
“His performance has been the most outstanding, and his goal-scoring efficiency is incredible, both at Bayern and with England,” Ballack said. “In my heart, no player ranks above him.”
Of Yamal, Ballack said: “Fans are willing to go to the stadium just to watch players like him. His style of play showcases the beauty of football and creates spectacular moments. However, he only found top form after the World Cup.”
Ballack praised Olise’s progress at Bayern. “He had an excellent season and made great progress at Bayern,” he said. “He brings something unique to the field and can decide matches with his individual ability.”
Magath’s order was Cucurella, Rodri and Fabian Ruiz. He said Cucurella was a world-class left-back who “always” appeared where his team needed him, possessed “excellent running ability” and rarely lost one-on-one duels.
“He defends his flank and actively participates in attacks,” Magath added. “He played a vital role in Spain winning the European Championship.”
Rodri, Magath said, was “the core of Spain’s midfield, controlling the tempo”. He added: “At the World Cup, he was deservedly named the best player of the tournament.”
On Ruiz, Magath said: “He is the third Spanish European Championship winner on my list of top candidates. He is an excellent partner to Rodri and has made significant contributions to the team’s balance and stability. Additionally, he won the Champions League with Paris.”
Schweinsteiger put Kane ahead of Yamal and Lionel Messi. He called Kane “the most outstanding goal-scoring machine” after considering his performances in the World Cup, Champions League, league and cup competitions.
Yamal, he said, “is the future of world football” and had already won the European Championship and the World Cup, while also enjoying “an excellent season with Barcelona”.
Schweinsteiger added that Messi had “once again led Argentina to the World Cup final”, saying that achieving such a feat at his age was “absolutely deserving of respect”.
Kramer also chose Kane, Yamal and Messi. “He absolutely deserves this trophy,” Kramer said of Kane. “In my opinion, he is the most valuable player for any team. But I’m quite sure he won’t be the one to win it…”
Kramer said Yamal could produce “incredible magic” despite his age and predicted that he would win. He added: “Another reason is that after Rodri, another midfielder with a simple playing style won’t win this award so quickly.”
Messi, Kramer said, had shown “top-class ability” at his last World Cup, describing it as “a fitting national team farewell worthy of his status”.
Low’s top three were Mbappe, Yamal and Olise. He acknowledged Kane as “an incredible scorer” who consistently delivered 30 goals each season, but said the Ballon d’Or favoured players with “flair and magic”.
“In this regard, I would place Mbappe ahead of Yamal and Olise, even though he didn’t win any trophies with France or Real Madrid last season,” Low said.
Matthaus completed the group of former German figures to place Kane first. He ranked Olise second and Ruiz third.
“He is not only an excellent scorer but also creates opportunities for his teammates,” Matthaus said of Kane. “He participates in offensive organization, covers a large area, and can be seen almost everywhere on the field.”
Matthaus also noted that Kane reached the Champions League semi-finals with Bayern and the World Cup semi-finals with England, ultimately finishing third in the tournament.
Olise’s technique and performances were “outstanding”, Matthaus said, adding that he could score spectacular goals and create chances. Ruiz, meanwhile, was praised for enabling attackers to produce “brilliant offensive plays”.
“Among the 30 nominees, he is the only one who has won both trophies,” Matthaus said of Ruiz, referring to the Champions League and the World Cup.
