Harry Kane makes big Ballon d'Or admission | OneFootball

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has revealed his long-held ambitions to win the Ballon d'Or and insisted that he is a "credible candidate" to claim the prestigious award in 2025.

Despite cementing his reputation as one of the greatest strikers in the world, becoming the all-time leading scorer for Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team, Kane has infamously never won a single team trophy in his professional career.

A runner-up in the Premier League and each of the last two European Championships, Kane's debut campaign at Bayern Munich coincided with the club's first trophy-less season in more than a decade. The un-stocked cabinet had little to do with Kane's performances.

The England international rattled in 44 goals across 45 games for his new employers, ensuring that he shared the Gerd Muller Trophy with Kylian Mbappe at the 2024 Ballon d'Or awards event in Paris.

"This trophy validates my career choice, that of leaving my country for the first time at the age of 30," Kane recently told L'Equipe in an exclusive interview. "And it allowed me to come for the first time to the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet to attend the presentation of all these prestigious awards.

"I'm hoping to come back perhaps to win an even more prestigious one," Kane added with a wink and a smile.

Harry Kane won the 2024 Gerd Muller Trophy / FRANCK FIFE/GettyImages

When asked if he ever mulled over the possibility of winning the Ballon d'Or, the Bayern number nine was emphatic. "Of course I'm thinking about it!" he declared. "And, why not say it, I believe in it. I feel like my performances make me a credible candidate.

"I continue to progress, I play in teams, whether it's Bayern or England, that are natural contenders for big victories. So, with my individual performances and a major collective victory like the Champions League, why couldn't I believe in my chances?"

Bayern are well placed to win this year's Bundesliga, ending Kane's long wait for collective silverware. While the Bavarians have not been so accomplished on the continent, they are expected to qualify for the knockout stages and remain one of the chief title contenders.

"I have dreamed of the Ballon d'Or since I was little," Kane, who is trying to emulate Michael Owen's feat in 2001 as the last Englishman to win the award, continued, "and even more so with the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo period which has given an even greater shine to this generation.

"Who knows if in 2025 we will not see each other again for another interview?" Kane concluded with a chuckle.