KANE PRIMED TO PIP YAMAL, MBAPPE TO BALLON D’OR GLORY

Harry Kane heads into Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony as the favourite, but competition from Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe leaves the outcome uncertain.

The England captain enjoyed an extraordinary scoring season, recording 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country. He helped Bayern Munich secure a domestic league-and-cup double and led England to the World Cup semi-finals.

Winning the award would make Kane the first English recipient in 25 years.

“I’d love to be able to achieve something like that,” the striker said, describing the prospect as a major career milestone.

However, Bayern’s Champions League semi-final exit and England’s failure to reach the World Cup final could influence the voting.

Kane admitted that waiting for the result had been stressful for his family, particularly his wife, although he understood why organisers kept the winner’s identity secret.

Yamal is another leading contender after finishing second to Ousmane Dembele last year. The Barcelona teenager remains in contention despite a hamstring injury cutting short his club season.

He was also part of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad, although teammates Rodri and Pau Cubarsi claimed the tournament’s individual honours.

Mbappe completes the headline contenders for the 70th edition of the award, which will take place in England for the first time.