Harry Kane celebrated the greatest individual achievement of his career by winning the Ballon d’Or. For Bayern’s sporting director, Max Eberl, the Englishman’s triumph is more than well-deserved. After the cup victory against Magdeburg, the 53-year-old explained what he believes makes a true world-class soccer player—and couldn’t resist taking a little dig at other candidates in the process.

At FC Bayern, the joy over Harry Kane’s historic Ballon d’Or triumph continues to run high. The top English striker was rewarded with the most prestigious individual award in world soccer for his outstanding performances last season.

Following the DFB Cup victory over 1. FC Magdeburg, Bayern’s sporting director, Max Eberl, spoke at length about the 33-year-old’s success. The 53-year-old made it clear that, in his view, Kane possesses all the qualities that define a world-class soccer player.

“First of all, the Ballon d’Or is a well-deserved award for him because he simply put in an outstanding performance last season,” Eberl emphasized.

Was Eberl taking a subtle dig at Kane’s rivals?

Things got particularly interesting when the Bayern boss explained the criteria he uses to evaluate a world-class soccer player. For Eberl, it’s apparently not enough to shine solely through technical skills or spectacular plays on the field.

“For me, the World Player of the Year isn’t just an artist,” the sporting director clarified.

Eberl then caught everyone’s attention with another statement. He noted that there are certainly competitors who primarily highlight their own brilliance on the field.

The Bayern boss did not want to name specific individuals. But it’s clear who he was referring to: Both Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé—who both lost out to Kane—have been actively promoting themselves in public in recent months and have repeatedly brought up these points.

“A World Player of the Year is a personality.”

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For Eberl, it’s clear that a player must impress not only with his athletic performance but also through his personality and charisma. “For me, a world-class soccer player is a personality. For me, a world-class soccer player is someone who exudes charisma, who naturally performs well on the field—that’s why you choose him—but there’s a bit more to it than that,” explained the 53-year-old.

Kane embodies precisely these qualities to a remarkable degree. The Englishman is an exceptional player not only because of his goals and assists, but also because of his demeanor and his impact on the team.

Eberl is also convinced that winning the Ballon d’Or will give Kane additional motivation for the challenges ahead.

The Bayern boss emphasized that the forward would have liked to show why he deserved the award as early as the cup match against Magdeburg. Now all eyes are on the upcoming Bundesliga classic against Borussia Dortmund. “Then, on Saturday, he’ll be all the more eager to prove that he rightfully became World Player of the Year,” Eberl predicted.

This article was translated into English by AI. You can read the original version here https://fcbinside.de/2026/10/29/nach-kane-triumph-beim-ballon-dor-eberl-teilt-gegen-yamal-und-mbappe-aus/.