Kickers play a smaller role in American football, entering the field only for field goals, kick-offs, safety kicks and extra points - but Maye says Kane’s ability from dead-balls makes him an ideal fit.

“I’m super excited,” the 21-year-old said at the time. “It’s special and very emotional. Being called up is a dream come true. I could hardly sleep after the news broke because I was so happy.”

The award consists of a two-stage process in which the performance data of the players and then the choice of the fans and experts are taken into account.

The determining factor for a matchday is the month in which its Saturday falls. October's vote covers Matchdays 5 to 9.

October winner

Niclas Füllkrug (Werder Bremen)

Füllkrug finding the back of the net was inevitable in October as he finished up as the only player to score in all four matchdays. His six goals in the month took his tally for the campaign to nine goals, more than any Werder Bremen player in Bundesliga history after eight rounds of fixtures.

>>> Vote for here for Füllkrug!

In total, he struck in seven consecutive league matches, something no Werder man had achieved since Rudi Völler in 1982/83. He wasn’t just prolific, but also efficient; his goals came from just 17 shots, meaning he only needed fewer than three per finish on average. He was far and away his team’s greatest threat in October, with no other member of the Bremen squad firing off more than six attempts.

"We are thrilled to be playing internationally and specifically in Munich for the 2026 season," said Detroit Lions president & CEO Rod Wood. "As an organization, we have invested greatly in the German market and are excited to play in front of our passionate German fans."

"Since joining the club, the reception we’ve experienced has been truly incredible. The support I received from the club, the staff, the coach, and my teammates - especially around the time of the Ballon d’Or - was something very special. I couldn’t have won the Ballon d’Or without them."

Watch: Kane: 'I'm at the best place possible'

Elversberg 1-4 Heidenheim (11/11/2026)
Goals: 0-1 Julian Eble (17'), 0-2 Lucas Veh (22'), 0-3 Nevio Bove (29'), 0-4 Adam Kölle (43'), 1-4 Orlind Tushi (76')

Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 Schalke (10/11/2026)
Goals: 0-1 Ayman Emran Gulasi (30'), 1-1 Lawrence Setordjie (36'), 1-2 Jean Paul Ndiaye (50')

Eintracht Braunschweig 5-1 Hamburg (4/11/2026)
Goals: 1-0 Mason Grumbach (9'), 2-0 Koki Tamayama (19'), 3-0 Marvin Hounkpati (30'), 4-0 Mason Grumbach (37'), 5-0 Abdel-Haq Awali (43'), 5-1 Joonas Joachim Peter Frenzel (87')

Elversberg 1-0 Paderborn (3/11/2026)
Goals: 1-0 Naserdine Touati (84')

Wolfsburg 3-2 Hamburg (21/10/2026)
Goals: 1-0 Aaron Zehnter (10'), 2-0 Bruno Katz (36'), 3-0 Leeron Danioko (48'), 3-1 Mehmet Yildirim (51'), 3-2 Jason-Dean Bissi Mouelle (54')

Hannover 2-3 Hertha Berlin (21/10/2026)
Goals: 0-1 Maris Schößler (12'), 1-1 Yunus Ünal (14'), 1-2 Elyas Bagci (76'), 2-2 Ole Wegner (83), 2-3 Liam Kannewurf (84')

Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-4 Eintracht Frankfurt (20/10/2026)
Goals: 1-0 Leander Davids (41'), 1-1 Lawrence Setordjie (76'), 1-2 Lawrence Setordjie (83'), 1-3 Otávio (86'), 1-4 Paul Henri Marin Bahoya (89')

Paderborn 2-0 Dynamo Dresden (20/10/2026)
Goals: 1-0 Cihan Agirayak (65'), 2-0 Maximilian Buchheit (78')

Greuther Fürth 6-2 Bochum (20/10/2026)
Goals: 1-0 Benjamin Zank (18'), 1-1 Till Winkelmann (20'), 1-2 Lirim Jashari (44'), 2-2 Mehmet Avlayici (56'), 3-2 Olgherto Balliu (64'), 4-2 Aleksandar Risovic (76'), 5-2 Mika Tom Wallentowitz (78'), 6-2 Aleksandar Risovic (87')

Bochum 1-3 Arminia Bielefeld (14/10/2026)
Goals: 0-1 Aaron Klos (60'), 0-2 Aaron Klos (65'), 1-2 Ole Van Eck (76'), 1-3 Leo Michel Haase (82')

Werder Bremen 6-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach (13/10/2026)
Goals: 1-0 Darwin Soylu (11'), 2-0 Jasha Barry (33'), 3-0 Karlo Simic (57'), 4-0 Patrick Götzelmann (62'), 5-0 Karlo Simic (67'), 5-1 Kerim Karyagdi (84'), 6-1 Elias Frey (85')

Holstein Kiel 0-3 Union Berlin (13/10/2026)
Goals: 0-1 Linus Güther (48'), 0-2 Milan Sonntag (59'), 0-3 Yann Megaptche (61')

Who do you think he should start in Belgrade as Germany look to keep their quarter-final hopes alive? Pick your XI below and have your say!

>>> Follow Serbia vs. Germany here!

The Netherlands and Greece top Group A2 with eight points and a +2 goal difference each. Xavi’s Dutch lead the way on goals scored. Serbia are yet to get a result and are bottom.

Strikers are, of course, judged on how often they find the net and Füllkrug’s league-leading nine from eight Bundesliga matches to set the early pace atop the German top-flight’s scoring chart made the 33 year old an easy choice for the former Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz boss.

But when you break down his stats - as surely Klopp and his analysis team have done - they become more impressive still.

Watch: Niclas Füllkrug - an analysis

Nailing down a starting spot in Dortmund's midfield is no easy feat, especially amidst stiff competition from the likes of Felix Nmecha, Joey Veerman and Marcel Sabitzer. Yet the young Englishman has seemingly earned Niko Kovač's trust, starting seven of Borussia's nine Bundesliga fixtures this campaign to help BVB head into the international break level on points with reigning champions Bayern Munich.

Watch: The best of Jobe Bellingham

Wael Mohya

Age: 17 (born 31 December 2008)
Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Position: Midfielder
Country: Germany (eight youth caps, three goals)

Key stats

Born under 50km from Mönchengladbach in 2008, Mohya had already made history by becoming Gladbach’s youngest-ever player when he featured against Karlsruhe in the DFB Cup in October 2025, and their youngest in the Bundesliga to boot following his cameo against Wolfsburg on Matchday 14 of last term.

Watch: Borussia M'gladbach 1-3 Wolfsburg - Mohya makes Bundesliga debut

Santiago Castaneda

Age: 21 (born 13 November 2004)
Club: Paderborn
Position: Defensive midfielder
Country: USA

Key stats

Born in Tampa, USA, to Colombian parents, Castaneda grew up with football in his veins.

His father, Carlos, used to play professionally in his native Colombia, while his mother is an ardent supporter of Colombian top-flight outfit América de Cali, who have won the national championship 15 times and finished runners-up in the Copa Libertadores – the South American equivalent of the UEFA Champions League – on four occasions.

Malek, 21, also joined the Billy Goats in the summer of 2025, but has had to bide his time for a maiden senior appearance for the club. However, when his opportunity arrived against Union Berlin, he grasped it with both hands, scoring within minutes of coming on.

It was a proud moment for the family, with the siblings becoming the first pair of brothers at Cologne since Klaus and Thomas Allofs some four decades ago in 1986/87. And they only went and stepped up the brotherly bond even more by combining for a goal in the derby against Bayer Leverkusen the following week.

Watch: Malek assists Saïd against Leverkusen

Having avoided defeat in each of his nine Bundesliga appearances in 2026/27, Upamecano has moved into third place on the all-time list, overtaking the likes of Franck Ribéry, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller.

Only two players in Bundesliga history have enjoyed longer individual unbeaten runs. Former Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecký occupies second place with 54 matches, while Boateng remains the outright record holder with 56.

Watch: Best of Upamecano in 2025/26