Harry Kane has finally ended his long wait for a major senior trophy at club or international level. Bayern Munich officially secured the Bundesliga title on Sunday, clinching their first league championship in two seasons with two games remaining in the domestic campaign. Bayern had drawn 3-3 with RB Leipzig on Saturday, missing an immediate opportunity to seal the title, but Bayer Leverkusen`s subsequent 2-2 draw against Freiburg on Sunday confirmed Vincent Kompany`s side`s unassailable eight-point lead over second place, effectively concluding the title race.
While this Bundesliga victory adds another medal to the collection for many Bayern players, it signifies the very first senior team accolade of Kane`s distinguished career. He joined Bayern in the summer of 2023 after spending nearly a decade as a central figure at his boyhood club, Tottenham Hotspur. His move to the German giants was primarily motivated by the pursuit of success in the UEFA Champions League and the desire to win trophies. Kane was notably part of the Bayern squad last season that, for the first time in over ten years, finished without silverware. This season, however, the team`s fortunes have dramatically improved.
Kane`s career has frequently been discussed in the context of his trophy chase. However, as the 31-year-old explained last month on CBS Sports Golazo Network`s Morning Footy, this public focus has had little bearing on his personal mindset or, arguably, on his reputation as one of the era`s premier goalscorers.
“I know there`s a lot of talk about the trophies,” Kane commented, “and whether I finish with one trophy or 20 trophies, I don`t think it`ll change my mindset. Every day when I wake up, it`s to be the best person, to be the best teammate, the best player I can be and I feel like I`m in the height of my prime right now so I want to play at the highest player whilst I feel like this for as long as possible.”
As Harry Kane celebrates this landmark achievement in Munich, let`s look at some key figures marking the England captain`s journey to his inaugural major title:
1: Number of second-place league finishes
Prior to this title, Kane had not been consistently involved in league title challenges. However, he was part of one team that finished as runners-up in the league – not with last season`s Bayern side, but with the 2016-17 Tottenham Hotspur team under Mauricio Pochettino. They finished behind a dominant Chelsea that season but achieved one of Spurs` strongest league performances in recent memory.
2: Number of losses in major international tournament finals
Kane`s quest for silverware also extended to the international stage with England. Despite being a crucial player for a talented England side, he experienced defeat in the finals of two major tournaments. England reached the final of the Euros in 2021 and 2024, losing first to Italy at Wembley Stadium in London, and then to Spain at Berlin`s Olympiastadion.
3: Number of losses in cup finals for club
The 31-year-old also came close to winning domestic and European cups at club level, finishing as a runner-up on three separate occasions – none of which were with Bayern. During his time at Spurs, he was on the losing side in the 2015 and 2021 EFL Cup finals and the 2019 Champions League final, where Tottenham were defeated by Liverpool at Madrid`s Metropolitano Stadium. These finals marked significant achievements for Spurs during the Pochettino era, despite the final result.
8: Number of Golden Boot awards won
Kane`s impressive individual scoring record stands in contrast to his long wait for team trophies. He has claimed seven Golden Boot awards across various competitions: three times in the Premier League (2015-16, 2016-17, 2020-21), last season in the Bundesliga and the Champions League, and also as the top scorer at the 2018 World Cup and the 2024 Euros. He is currently in a strong position to add another Bundesliga Golden Boot this season, holding 24 goals, five ahead of Leverkusen`s Patrick Schick, with two games remaining.
447: Total goals scored
Further highlighting Kane`s prolific ability, he has scored 358 goals at the senior level for club and country combined. This impressive tally is expected to increase significantly in the coming years, assuming he remains fit.
694: Total games played
While Kane waited nearly 600 games to celebrate his first major title, another perspective on his remarkable attacking output is that he has scored in 64% of all senior games played for club and country, an exceptional accomplishment.
