Kane says Ballon d’Or wait is stressful for his family

Harry Kane said the uncertainty over whether he will win the 2026 Ballon d’Or has left his family feeling stressed, while he accepts organisers’ decision to keep the result secret until the ceremony. The Bayern Munich and England striker spoke after his team’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Arsenal on Wednesday. Kane said his wife would prefer to know the outcome in advance and that he, too, would like to avoid waiting through the ceremony, but understood that secrecy could encourage high-profile guests to attend and audiences to watch. “I try not to think about it,” Kane said, adding that rumours surrounding the award made it difficult to put the result out of mind. He said the family would try to enjoy the occasion and not become too stressed. His comments describe his own account of his family’s reaction; the reports of those remarks stem from the same post-match interview. The winner had not been announced as of October 23. The ceremony was scheduled for October 26 at the London Palladium in London. Organisers’ decision to withhold the result means Kane and other contenders will learn the outcome at the event. Kane is among the leading candidates for the award, which...