No fewer than 70 Ballon d’Or awards have been presented since the prestigious trophy was first established. Lionel Messi (39) and Cristiano Ronaldo (41) have, between them (eight for the Argentine, five for the Portuguese), won 13 of them. Impressive achievements which, over the years, have enabled both players to cement their place in the pantheon of the all-time greats. But they have also established themselves as role models for many of their peers.

Starting with Harry Kane (33), who, in 2018, did not hesitate to reveal his ambition to join the two legends amongst the very best. Eight years on, the Englishman believes he has finally achieved his goal. “I’ve always tried to push my limits as far as possible. I don’t like setting a ceiling on my progress. You have to aim for the impossible, then see how far you can go,” he said in a lengthy interview with France Football.

“Back then, Messi and Cristiano seemed almost out of reach. They were scoring an incredible number of goals. But I knew that if I was in the right environment, surrounded by the right players, I could do it too.”

Aware of his place amongst the “world’s best finishers” – a status he reaffirmed last season by scoring no fewer than 73 goals – Kane is now savouring the journey he has been on. “Receiving this award at the end of a season like this is very special, because you don’t score that many goals or win that many trophies every year. The fact that the Ballon d’Or is the crowning glory of it all makes this season even more special.”