For so long a duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Ballon d'Or has been opened up to the masses in recent years.
asserted
d'Or → open → years
The outstanding candidates for this particular edition also came with obvious caveats.
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candidates → come → caveats
Kylian Mbappe shone individually but did not win a major trophy for club or country.
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Mbappe → shine → club
Lamine Yamal had an understated World Cup after he came back from injury.
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he → have → injury
Rodri only played half a season.
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Rodri → play → season
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was outstanding for Paris Saint-Germain but did not get the opportunity to play at the World Cup.
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Kvaratskhelia → get → Cup
All that considered, Kane found himself as favourite.
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Kane → consider → favourite
The Bayern Munich striker does not have the allure and excitement surrounding him of Mbappe or Yamal.
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striker → have → Mbappe
Nor does he have the PR machine behind him of the Spanish clubs.
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he → have → clubs
With no World Cup or Champions League trophy to push his case either, he was relying on the sheer weight of his numbers.
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he → push → numbers
Kane scored 73 goals in 65 matches for Bayern and England last season.
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Kane → score → Bayern
That proved enough.
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That → prove → ?
It has not always been the case, but on this occasion the best player in the world last season was rightfully awarded the Ballon d'Or.
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player → award → d'Or
For a striker as remarkably complete as he is, Kane has repeatedly suffered frustration when glory has been within touching distance.
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glory → suffer → distance
Across defeats in the final of two European Championships and a Champions League, Kane did not score.
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Kane → score → Championships
He managed a grand total of two shots across those three matches.
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He → manage → matches
The criticism put to Kane for much of his career has been that he has not delivered on the biggest stage, that his goal tallies had not been translated into trophy hauls.
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tallies → put → hauls
He won the Bundesliga and the German Cup last season but that point still very much remains.
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point → win → Bundesliga
Had he dragged Bayern to the Champions League or England to the World Cup, the Ballon d'Or voting would surely have been a landslide.
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voting → drag → Cup
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Instead, he was quiet in the World Cup quarter-final against Norway and had no impact at all in the semi-final defeat to Argentina.
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he → read → Argentina
That has happened too often.
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That → happen → ?
The one last step for him to take is delivering in those kind of matches.
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him → take → matches
Kane scored six goals at the tournament but it was Jude Bellingham who was the primary source of decisive moments in attack.
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who → score → attack
When the lights are shining brightest, Kane is yet to have that one standout match.
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Kane → shin → match
A final or even a knockout match against elite opposition when he had stood up, scored the goals, stamped his authority on the occasion and carried his side over the line.
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he → stand → line
So too the title, even if Bayern contrived not to win it in his first season at the club.
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Bayern → contrive → club
Those are not how he should be judged.
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he → judge → ?
Kane was a worthy winner of the Ballon d'Or but that nagging doubt over the trophy cabinet remains.
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doubt → nag → cabinet
It is Champions League glory or international silverware that would now complete his career.
Bayern are only the fourth favourites for the Champions League this season, behind Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.
There is no sign of Kane slowing down but the next World Cup is a long way away.
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Cup → complete → Barcelona
His last big chance of leading the Three Lions to an international trophy, then, could be in 2028, when England have a Euros on home soil to target.
uncertain
England → lead → soil
Adding his name to the list of Ballon d'Or winners ensures Kane will go down as a great of the game.
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Kane → add → game
The final years of his career must be about adding meaningful, major team honours to go with it.
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years → add → it
The Aporia
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