Teddy Sheringham Backs Rodri Over Harry Kane for Ballon d'Or

Teddy Sheringham knows what it takes to live at football’s top table. He played into his 40s, lifted the Champions League, and shared dressing rooms with some of the game’s biggest names. So when he looks at this year’s Ballon d’Or race, you might expect him to plant the flag firmly in Harry Kane’s corner.

He doesn’t.

Despite Kane’s outrageous numbers for FC Bayern Munich, Sheringham believes another man should be leading the conversation: Rodri.

Sheringham backs Rodri over Kane for Ballon d’Or

Kane, now 33, has just delivered one of the most prolific seasons of his career. Sixty-one goals in all competitions for Bayern. Thirty-six of those in just 31 Bundesliga games, driving the club to a second straight league title and underlining his status as one of the most lethal finishers in the world.

His form in Germany helped turn England into genuine contenders on the biggest stage. At the World Cup, Gareth Southgate’s side didn’t quite make it to the final, but they still came home with a bronze medal after beating France in the third-place playoff.

Even so, Sheringham is looking elsewhere when it comes to the game’s most prestigious individual prize.

“There’s not an obvious favorite for the Ballon d’Or, but I would think you have to be winning Champions Leagues, World Cups, or Euros whenever they’re about to be in that conversation. I’m sure Kane will be in the top five, no doubt about that, but I can’t see him winning it. I think someone like Rodri has been spoken of very highly and was exceptional again in the World Cup every time he was on the football pitch,” Sheringham told Heavy Sports via BetVictor Online Casino.

For Sheringham, Rodri’s influence goes beyond neat passing and control. It’s about decisive moments and major trophies.

“[Rodri] took his teams to glory as well, so he would be my pick. But Kane has definitely had a fantastic season as well, and he’s in and around it again.”

So Kane, in Sheringham’s eyes, is right there in the mix. Just not quite at the front of the queue.

“I can see Kane playing into his 40s”

Where Sheringham does not hesitate is on Kane’s longevity.

The former Tottenham Hotspur forward, who famously played until he was 42, sees the same kind of staying power in England’s captain. The doubts that once surrounded Kane’s body, he feels, have been firmly answered.

“I can see Kane playing into his 40s. He had a few injuries when he was around 26 or 27, when he had those ankle problems. Everyone was looking at him and wondering, ‘Has he got glass ankles?’ and whether he’d be okay in the long run,” Sheringham said.

Those questions have faded. The Bayern striker has rebuilt his body, sharpened his conditioning and, crucially, kept his output at an elite level.

“But he’s obviously had them mended and looked at properly for his longevity, and he’s enjoying that now. He looks fit and strong, and long may that continue.”

Coming from a man who extended his own career well beyond the usual limits, that’s not a casual compliment. It’s a prediction.

Why leave Bayern?

Sheringham also sees no reason for Kane to chase one last payday in Saudi Arabia or MLS. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

In an era where many stars wind down in less demanding leagues, he believes Kane is perfectly placed to finish his career where he is.

“He’s playing his best football, scoring 60 goals in a season last year, you can’t get much better than that. Everyone is focused on providing for the main striker, and that’s what it’s all about – everyone’s doing their job to let the striker finish things off. From Harry’s point of view, there’s no reason to leave. I can’t see him going to Saudi Arabia; it’s just not in his makeup. Things may change, of course,” Sheringham said.

Right now, though, Kane looks locked in on the highest level.

“At this moment in time, I think he likes pitting himself against the best in the world, and there’s no better place to do that than Bayern.”

Ballon d’Or or not, Sheringham sees a forward still climbing, not one easing towards the exit. The real question now is how many more years – and how many more records – Kane can carve out while he’s still hunting at the very top.