“It’s very stressful,” said Harry Kane, though he had scarcely looked stressed as he gave a masterclass. It is too late to sway the electorate anyway. The votes have been cast and either Kane will become England’s first Ballon d’Or winner for 25 years and Bayern Munich’s first for 45, or the serial scorer who was in his thirties before one of his teams won a trophy will find the most prestigious individual award elusive as well.
But if part of the case for Kane was apparent in his performance against Arsenal, part of it comes from his consistency and character. On a night when Bayern began without Michael Olise, due to suspension, and Luis Diaz, courtesy of managerial choice, Kane was the outstanding player in Europe’s marquee match.
