Harry Kane is the heavy favourite to be crowned the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner on Monday evening in London, but first he faces Arsenal in a Champions League group stage tie that could see him match a record set by Cristiano Ronaldo.
The England captain has scored in nine consecutive competition matches. Ronaldo is currently the only player to have scored in 11 straight competition matches, and Kane is on the cusp of equalling that landmark if he finds the target against Arsenal, the club he played for as an eight-year-old.
Kane has netted 15 times in 22 appearances against Arsenal, and bookmakers have him as a 2/5 favourite to become the first English player since Michael Owen in 2001 to be crowned the best player in world football.
Record-Breaking Season
Kane's goalscoring numbers are described as "utterly mind-blowing" as he is heavily fancied to pip the likes of Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi to the Golden Ball. He rifled in 73 goals for club and country across the 2025-26 campaign, with only Messi (82 in 2011-12) managing more in a single season this century.
Last week, Kane surpassed a separate Messi record for most Champions League goals scored after turning 30, following his brace against Norwegian outfit Viking. Messi notched 35 Champions League goals in his 30s, while Kane now has 36. He also sits eighth on the all-time Champions League scorers list with 57 goals, tied with Bayern great Thomas Muller, and is the top-scoring English player in the competition.
Kane is the first Englishman to score in seven consecutive Champions League games and boasts the record for most goals scored by an English player in a single Champions League season (14 in 2025-26). He prepares to commit his future with Bayern until the summer of 2029.
Team-Mates Back Kane
Kane was not summoned for Bayern Munich's pre-match media duties, preferring to let his football do the talking. Team-mate Serge Gnabry insists Kane's mindset is what sets him apart from the rest.
"He always has the right mindset, always goes forward, always leads. I spoke to him the other day, he just has a good mindset where he never gets thrown out of his lane if I can say it like that," Gnabry explained. "He just helps the team in such ways with his performances, he brings the team together by being unselfish and those are great attributes and he's a top, top player to have on your team."
In the mind of Gnabry, there is no doubt that Kane is worthy of the Ballon d'Or: "He's had an incredible year, so for me of course he's done enough."
Bayern's Assistant Coach Weighs In
Bayern's assistant coach Aaron Danks also backed Kane, stating: "Unfortunately, I am really biased because I am an Englishman! But for me to work with Harry is a privilege. His all-round game is at such a high level."
"He can be our best defender in training if he wants. He can be our best playmaker. He can go and score goals. I have learned a lot working with him."
With Michael Olise suspended and Joshua Kimmich absent for personal reasons, Bayern might need Kane to do all three this evening against Arsenal, one of his favourite opponents.
