Harry Kane has been the best goalscorer in Europe for the past three years.
The Englishman netted his 150th goal for Bayern Munich at the weekend, in just his 153rd game for the German side. Since he made the move to Bavaria in 2023, no player in Europe’s top five leagues has scored more across all competitions.
Kane’s 150 goals places him ahead of both Kylian Mbappe (137) and Erling Haaland (114). Four of those goals have come in six games in 2026/27, with Kane picking up from where he left off.
He’s currently favourite to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, and his goalscoring has played a big part in it. Although the early stage of this season isn’t taken into account, Kane did more than enough in 2025/26 to deserve becoming the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.
- Read more: Ballon d’Or odds and favourites
Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or credentials
Conquering Germany
Harry Kane won the European Golden Shoe for the second time in three years last season. The European Golden Shoe is presented to the best goalscorer based on a points system. Leagues are weighted with goals scored multiplied by fixed numbers, to award a final score. So a player scoring more goals in a stronger league has a chance to beating a player to have scored more in a weaker division.
Kane’s 36 goals in the Bundesliga lasts season earned him 72 points, 18 more than second-placed Haaland. Even when you take out league weighting, Kane scored more goals than any player in the top 10. Looking across Europe’s top seven leagues, Kane scored eight more goals than any other player, with Sporting CP’s Luis Suarez second on 28 goals. This is despite Kane only ranking sixth for his 119 shots. Accuracy was key though, with Kane (67) having more shots on target than any other player.
Kane also led Europe’s top five leagues for Expected Goals, with 26.83 in the Bundesliga. Again that placed him just ahead of Haaland (25.74) and Mbappe (23.95). It’s a similar story for post-shot xG, with Kane the only player to register at least 30 (31.31). The gulf there was a lot bigger, with second-placed Haaland registering 23.29 post-shot xG. That only proves Kane’s class as a finisher. Only Andrej Kramaric (+4.7) had a bigger difference between xG and post-shot xG in Europe’s top five leagues than Kane’s 4.48. The Englishman was drastically improving his chances of scoring based on shot placement.
It may be overlooked, but Kane was also crucial to Bayern Munich’s DFB-Pokal win. The Englishman scored in every game of Bayern’s run to the final, including a hat-trick over Stuttgart in the showpiece.
Among Europe’s best
Kane’s dominance wasn’t just limited to Germany last season. He was also one of the best goalscorers in European competition. Only Mbappe (15) scored more goals across the three continental club competitions than Kane’s 14 last season. But he sat joint-top alongside Mbappe and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for 16 direct goal involvements, with two assists alongside his 14 goals.
Again, Kane’s finishing was key and among the best. The Englishman’s 9.53 xG was the second-most in the Champions League last season, only behind Mbappe’s 9.75. He also ranked second for post-shot xG, with 11.29 to Mbappe’s 13.01.
Consistently was Kane’s key in Europe last season, particularly in the knockout stages. He only failed to score in three of his 13 Champions League appearances, with all three coming in the group stage. After missing the last-16 first leg againt Atalanta, Kane scored in Bayern’s next five knockout stage matches. He bagged two in the second leg against Atalanta, before scoring home and away against both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
That’s a run he has continued in the 2026/27 campaign, scoring in Bayern’s first Champions League game of the new season. It means he’s scored in eight consecutive Champions League appearances, the joint-fourth-longest streak in the competition’s history. If Kane scores in his next game, he’ll jump up to joint-second. Cristiano Ronaldo currently holds the outright record, scoring in 11 consecutive Champions League matches.
England’s leader
International performances are key when the Ballon d’Or falls in a World Cup year. Lionel Messi lifted the award in 2023 after finally leading Argentina to World Cup glory. Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or in 2018 for his role in Croatia’s run to a maiden final.
Although England did not reach the World Cup final, Kane had a good tournament for the Three Lions as they secured a bronze medal. He scored six goals at the tournament, sitting joint-fifth on the list for the Golden Boot. But he broke a number of England records along the way.
Kane also scored his six World Cup goals from just 23 shots, 12 of which hit the target. He posted 3.28 xG, which was boosted to 4.34 post-shot xG. It capped off a season in which Kane scored 12 goals in 14 games for England across all competitions. While that does pale in comparison to the likes of Mbappe and Haaland, Kane’s importance for England certainly boosts his chances. Including the fact that England over-rely on the striker, barely giving him a moment’s rest which eventually hampers his performances.
Had England won the World Cup, there might have been a case for Jude Bellingham to win the Ballon d’Or over Kane. But given Spain’s success, without a standout star, Kane has seen his chances rise to be odds-on favourite. And it would be a deserved win.