Kane puts the World Cup above the Ballon d'Or — and sends Haaland a warning: 'I hope he has a quiet day'
Kane admits he's in the Ballon d'Or race but puts a World Cup title above everything — and delivers a message to Haaland ahead of the quarter-finals.
Harry Kane could have been talking about individual trophies. Instead, he went straight to the point: "My main goal is to win the World Cup with England," said the England captain at a press conference ahead of the quarter-final clash with Norway.
The statement carried weight. Kane acknowledged that he is in the running for the Ballon d'Or after one of the best seasons of his career at Bayern Munich — but made it clear that the collective comes first. According to ge, the Englishman stressed that winning with his country would be decisive in strengthening any individual candidacy.
Context matters here: England have already eliminated Mexico in the round of 16, and Golmetria's model gives the English a 10.16% chance of lifting the title — a figure that, combined with Kane's current form, explains why his name keeps coming up in every Ballon d'Or conversation.
But the sharpest moment of the press conference came elsewhere. Asked who is better — him or Haaland, his direct opponent this Saturday — Kane defused the question with elegance and a parting shot: "It's impossible to compare us. Haaland is a beast," he admitted, before noting that he prefers to be more involved in build-up play. He then closed with a smile tucked inside his words: "I hope he has a quiet day tomorrow."
Norway and England meet this Saturday at 6 p.m. (Brasília time) at Miami Stadium. On one side, Kane trying to write history. On the other, Haaland determined to prove that the quiet day is not going to happen.