Kane wins the Ballon d'Or and Spanish football goes home empty-handed
Harry Kane wins the Ballon d'Or, leaving Lamine Yamal and Mbappé empty-handed. Spanish football misses out on the men's trophy, with only Alexia Putellas saving the night.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Kane wins the Ballon d'Or and Spanish football goes home empty-handed
Harry Kane has the Ballon d'Or. The English striker, who came up through Tottenham and now plays for Bayern Munich, has taken home an award that many in Spain assumed was destined for Lamine Yamal or Fabián Ruiz. The moment that sums up the night is Kane himself dedicating the award to his vvife: "You wanted this award more than I did." A low-profile figure, with no prison-style tattoos or off-field headlines, he claims the most coveted trophy in European football while the Madrid-Barcelona axis looks on.
What Kane did to win the Ballon d'Or
The central argument is his season at Bayern Munich and his status as top scorer. The German league, however, is the weak point of the story: some argue it is "10,000 times easier than the Spanish one" and that the award should have gone to a El futbol español player. The comparison with Fabián Ruiz, a champion with Betis and with Spain, keeps coming up as the most defended alternative.
The trophy also arrives at a time when the Ballon d'Or has lost some of the magnetism it had in the days of Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi. Nobody questions Kane's level, but rather his ability to make headlines. The recurring feeling is that the award has become more predictable and less exciting.
Anger at the organisers and the award's criteria
The most repeated complaint is not against Kane, but against the criteria. People point out that the Ballon d'Or has been awarded before to players who did not win the World Cup, and that this time the trophy stays in London, fuelling the suspicion that the award is decided by factors that have little to do with sporting performance.
The discontent extends to the feeling that Spain is systematically left out of the shortlists. Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé had their speeches and parties ready, and both were left wanting. The award goes to an Englishman playing in Germany, and for part of the Spanish fanbase, that is a slap in the face for football here.
The women's Ballon d'Or also stays in Spain
The consolation comes through the women's side: Alexia Putellas wins the Ballon d'Or. It is the only award that stays at home and the counterpoint to a night that, on the men's side, leaves a bitter taste. The paradox is obvious: Spanish women's football keeps collecting honours while the men's game watches the train go by.
The question remains whether Kane's award is an anomaly or the new order. A low-profile goalscorer, without media noise, takes the trophy while the stars of Madrid and Barça are left at the door. And amid it all, the question nobody quite answers: does performance matter more, or the ability to generate headlines?
Harry Kane has the Ballon d'Or. The English striker, who came up through Tottenham and now plays for Bayern Munich, has taken home an award that many in Spain assumed was destined for Lamine Yamal or Fabián Ruiz. The moment that sums up the night is Kane himself dedicating the award to his vvife: "You wanted this award more than I did." A low-profile figure, with no prison-style tattoos or off-field headlines, he claims the most coveted trophy in European football while the Madrid-Barcelona axis looks on.
What Kane did to win the Ballon d'Or
The central argument is his season at Bayern Munich and his status as top scorer. The German league, however, is the weak point of the story: some argue it is "10,000 times easier than the Spanish one" and that the award should have gone to a El futbol español player. The comparison with Fabián Ruiz, a champion with Betis and with Spain, keeps coming up as the most defended alternative.
The trophy also arrives at a time when the Ballon d'Or has lost some of the magnetism it had in the days of Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi. Nobody questions Kane's level, but rather his ability to make headlines. The recurring feeling is that the award has become more predictable and less exciting.
Anger at the organisers and the award's criteria
The most repeated complaint is not against Kane, but against the criteria. People point out that the Ballon d'Or has been awarded before to players who did not win the World Cup, and that this time the trophy stays in London, fuelling the suspicion that the award is decided by factors that have little to do with sporting performance.
The discontent extends to the feeling that Spain is systematically left out of the shortlists. Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé had their speeches and parties ready, and both were left wanting. The award goes to an Englishman playing in Germany, and for part of the Spanish fanbase, that is a slap in the face for football here.
The women's Ballon d'Or also stays in Spain
The consolation comes through the women's side: Alexia Putellas wins the Ballon d'Or. It is the only award that stays at home and the counterpoint to a night that, on the men's side, leaves a bitter taste. The paradox is obvious: Spanish women's football keeps collecting honours while the men's game watches the train go by.
The question remains whether Kane's award is an anomaly or the new order. A low-profile goalscorer, without media noise, takes the trophy while the stars of Madrid and Barça are left at the door. And amid it all, the question nobody quite answers: does performance matter more, or the ability to generate headlines?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (26 replies).
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