Overview
- England coach Thomas Tuchel said he was surprised by Harry Kane finishing 13th, joking there was "room to improve" before criticizing the list.
- Tuchel reiterated he is not a fan of individual awards in football and argued the Bayern Munich striker should have been ranked higher.
- Kane's last season included 51 matches with 41 goals and 14 assists, plus the Bundesliga title, but Bayern exited in the Champions League quarterfinal and the DFB-Pokal round of 16.
- Ousmane Dembélé won the Ballon d'Or after producing 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 games as PSG captured Ligue 1, the French Cup and the Champions League.
- PSG reached the Club World Cup final, while Bayern were eliminated in the quarterfinal by the French side.