“Giving Messi the Ballon d’Or would be nonsense!”: Uli Hoeneß backs Kane as he leaves contract talks to Dreesen

FC Bayern’s honorary president Uli Hoeneß joins the list of figures backing Harry Kane to win the Ballon d’Or next month. Staying true to his reputation, the 74-year-old also added a controversial bit about Kane’s competitors.

"He (Kane) absolutely deserves it. And I hope he wins it,” Hoeneß said about the event that will take place in England for the first time. “Harry Kane has had an outstanding season across all competitions. If he doesn’t deserve it this year, then when will he?”

Hoeneß also takes a dig at some of the players expected to rival the England captain for the individual accolade. “I think giving Messi the Ballon d’Or for a fifth time (note: it’ll be his ninth) would be nonsense!” Hoeneß said in an interview with the Munich-based tabloid Abendzeitung (via @iMiaSanMia).

“Mbappé? They [Real Madrid] didn’t win a single title, while we won two," the former president told Maximilian Koch. The legendary Bayern figure said he’s not involved in new deal talks with Kane, however.

“I don’t need to keep telling him that since he knows what I think,” Hoeneß said when he was asked whether he tried to persuade the 33-year-old striker. “Jan-Christian Dreesen is handling it. They’re in talks. We’ll see what comes of it.”