Harry Kane says Ballon d'Or wait is killing his family

The suspense is getting to him. Kane's been refreshing his phone, checking the odds, doing everything except actually thinking about it—which, he admits, is impossible anyway.

Bayern's 33-year-old striker is the favorite to win Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony at London's Palladium. The numbers back it up. Last season he bagged 61 goals for the German club and 12 for England. This year's been quieter but still productive: 10 for Bayern, six for Three Lions. He's been prolific enough that everyone around him—teammates, staff, his own family—won't stop asking.

"I try not to think about it," Kane told reporters. "Obviously it is hard not to." Fair enough. When you're the betting favorite for one of football's biggest individual awards, pretending it doesn't exist takes superhuman effort.

What's actually getting to him isn't his own nerves. It's theirs. His family's been fielding questions constantly, living in this weird limbo where everything feels decided but nothing's official. That's the real stress—not the wanting, but the waiting.

Kane showed up Wednesday for Bayern's 2-2 Champions League scrap against Arsenal, and for once, the Ballon d'Or noise quieted a bit. He converted a penalty, which you'd expect. But the moment people will remember was that through ball for Alphonso Davies to equalize—the kind of pass that reminds you Kane's more than just a goalscorer.

The ceremony's Monday night in London. The wait's nearly over. After that, either Kane finally gets to stop dodging the question, or he gets to smile through another round of "wait till next year" conversations. Either way, his family can probably relax.