Harry Kane Shatters Lionel Messi's Incredible Ballon d'Or Record in Stunning Fashion

Harry Kane is experiencing what could be considered the peak form of his career at Bayern Munich, netting a double against Pafos in Champions League action to reach 20 goal contributions this season (17 goals, three assists).

With this achievement, the England striker became the quickest player ever to accumulate 20 goal contributions at the start of a campaign—eclipsing the previous benchmark established by Lionel Messi during his 2012 Ballon d'Or-winning season. Kane operated in a somewhat deeper position on Tuesday as loanee Nicolas Jackson was given the starting striker role in Vincent Kompany's 4-2-3-1 formation, yet still managed to score twice.

This isn't Kane's first time reaching such numbers in comparable timeframes, having previously accomplished this feat with Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern in 2020–21 (871 minutes) and 2024–25 (891 minutes) seasons respectively. However, he has now surpassed his previous records by a considerable distance.

Previously, only Messi had managed to achieve 20 goal contributions in fewer than 800 minutes (13.3 hours) of play. Kane had already outpaced elite players including Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this milestone.

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.

Could Kane Be an Early 2026 Ballon d'Or Candidate?

Kane has already hit double figures in the Bundesliga, standing as the sole player to achieve this across Europe's premier five leagues. His nearest competitors are Manchester City's Haaland and Real Madrid's Mbappé, both sitting on eight goals in the Premier League and La Liga respectively.

The England skipper is already being mentioned in early discussions for 2026 Ballon d'Or candidates, or at the very least for the Gerd Müller Trophy awarded annually to the world's top striker.

Kane secured his maiden major trophy last season by claiming the Bundesliga championship, finding the net 41 times and providing 14 assists across 51 matches in all competitions. Despite these impressive statistics, he only managed a 13th-place finish in the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings, dropping three spots from 2024.

If Kane maintains his current trajectory and adds more silverware this season, he could position himself not only for an improved shortlist placement but as a genuine contender for the prestigious award.