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Serge Gnabry Champions Harry Kane as Favorite for Ballon d'Or Ahead of Arsenal Clash

Serge Gnabry, winger for Bayern Munich, has publicly backed his teammate Harry Kane to win the Ballon d'Or this year. The endorsement came just before their Champions League meeting with Arsenal, Kane’s former club.

High Praise for Kane's Performance

The German international pointed to Kane’s incredible goal-scoring form as a main reason for the award prediction. With 61 goals last season, Kane helped Bayern secure the Bundesliga title and captained England to the World Cup semi-finals.

Kane is competing against notable talents like Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who won La Liga and the World Cup. Still, Gnabry emphasized Kane’s consistent impact on and off the field.

Kane’s Current Season Stats

  • Goals: 9
  • Assists: 6
  • Appearances: 10 (all competitions)
  • Champions League goals: 3 in 2 matches

These contributions have Bayern leading the Bundesliga table with 14 points, tied with Borussia Dortmund.

Gnabry on Kane’s Qualities

"He’s shown it time and time again, how valuable he is. How much he has improved since coming here - an incredible player. Very deserving. I said it earlier at a press conference. I don’t know who decides who deserves to win that trophy, but he has had an incredible year. He’s still in great form, still scoring a lot of goals, so valuable to our team. I would wish it for him, he deserves that trophy."

Gnabry also described Kane as a steady presence and role model within the squad:

"He scores a lot of goals. The right mindset, he’s always in the game, focused. In that sense, a calm through the storm, and sets the bar high."

Facing Former Club Arsenal

This upcoming match will see Gnabry face Arsenal, a club he left in 2016 after limited chances under Arsene Wenger. Following stints at Werder Bremen and TSG Hoffenheim, he settled at Bayern Munich.

Now he will play against Arsenal managed by Mikel Arteta, a former teammate at Arsenal. Gnabry praised Arteta’s achievements:

"It wasn’t an easy project. For him to last that long, to have that success, and make them champions again, is a very big achievement. Probably a bigger achievement than some achievements by bigger coaches."

Though he holds fond memories of Arsenal, Gnabry is fully focused on securing victory for Bayern:

"I’ve played for the club, so in some ways I’m happy for them, but of course, tomorrow, I’m playing for Bayern Munich. They’re my current club, and we need to win tomorrow."

Looking Ahead to Ballon d'Or Ceremony

After Wednesday’s Champions League match, attention will turn to the Ballon d’Or ceremony on October 26. Kane is expected to confirm his long-term future with Bayern Munich soon, with talks of a contract extension ahead of his deal expiring in summer 2027.

Upcoming Matches

  • Arsenal vs Bayern Munich - Champions League, October 21, 2026
  • Arsenal vs Everton - Premier League, October 24, 2026, 17:00
  • SC Freiburg vs Bayern Munich - Bundesliga, October 25, 2026, 18:30

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