: RG takes a look at Harry Kane’s epic career and tireless fight to win his first trophy (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Bayern Munich demolished Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 on Wednesday, all but confirming their place in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. It was a devastating display of efficiency and technical skill from the Bavarians, the kind we had grown accustomed to over the past decade prior to last season’s debacle. And it was yet another reminder why Harry Kane is one of the finest footballers on the planet and a player who fans in the US will get the chance to see him play live, as his club will be competing in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.
Both Bayern and Kane went into the match with something to prove: Kane had failed to find the back of the net in his last four matches, whilst Bayern had failed to beat Leverkusen in each of their previous six attempts, with their last win coming on September 30, 2022. Nine minutes into the game, Kane caressed the ball onto his right foot whilst holding off Mario Hermoso, taking a controlled touch that was heavy enough to accelerate past two opponents, but not heavy enough to cough up possession. He then furtively took two scans over either shoulder before launching a pass into an acre of space on the right flank, where Michael Olise was there to collect, sauntering towards the touchline before delivering a wicked cross into the area for Kane to muscle out Nordi Mukiele and head home.
Bayern would double their lead after the break as Matěj Kovář fluffed his lines by allowing a pedestrian cross from Joshua Kimmich to slip through his fingers, with Jamal Musiala capitalizing on the Czech’s mistake and tapping in from close range. Things went from bad to worse for Leverkusen as Edmond Tapsoba, who had only just come off the bench to help shore up Leverkusen’s defense following Mukiele’s expulsion, decided to wrestle Kane to the floor whilst challenging for a corner kick. The Englishman stepped up to the spot and blazed his effort into the top-right corner, making it 38 goals and 10 appearances in 54 Champions League appearances.
Kane is eyeing the first team trophy of his career, which could occur with the Bundesliga title, or the UEFA Champions League title, or the FIFA Club World Cup title.
“[The Club World Cup is] going to be great,” said Kane in a FIFA interview.
“It’s going to be unique. Playing this type of major tournament with your club is different to what’s been done in the past, but I think it’s going to be a great experience. Going out to the US, as well, a year before the [FIFA] World Cup itself will be a great chance to get to know some of the stadiums and get to know the fans out there. As always, when it’s the first of any type of tournament, people are wondering how it’s going to go, but I’m really excited for it.”
The previous iteration of the FIFA Club World Cup, which lasted between 2000 and 2023, featured merely seven teams and was typically dominated by the European representative, with Bayern winning the tournament in 2013 and 2020. This format, however, will expand the field to 32 teams, and instead of just a 10-day jaunt in the middle of the season, this tournament will take place after the season and last between June 14 and July 13. Bayern will take on New Zealand’s Auckland City in their opener in Cincinnati before facing Argentine heavyweights Boca Juniors in Miami, followed by a match-up with Benfica in Charlotte.
“We’re one of the best teams in the world, without a doubt, so every tournament we go into, the idea is to win. We know it’ll be tough, of course, as every major tournament will be. But, look, we’re having a good season,” said Kane. “We are who we are. I think it’s important to know to be yourself, and I think everyone tries to be themselves here at the club. No one is bigger than the other, we all participate to do our job and to be one team, to be successful. I think that kind of mindset comes from the fans and that goes into the team. I think that’s why the connection is so special between the players and the fans, as well. It’s important to never forget that and no matter where you are in the world, to always have that motto and just to be yourself.”
Kane leads all Bundesliga players for goals (21) – five more than any other player – as well as other categories like Expected Goals (16.32), goal contributions (27), while also converting each of his nine penalty efforts in Germany’s top-flight. Furthermore, only Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy (10) has scored more than him (9) in the Champions League this season. But the stats only go so far as to demonstrate Kane’s importance for Bayern; he’s not just a world-class finisher, but an elite-level playmaker who is capable of distributing the ball into advanced areas, riding past the pressure, and orchestrating lofted passes in behind the backline. And whilst he perhaps isn’t taking as much of an active role in the second phase of possession under Vincent Kompany, he’s nevertheless showing that he has the tools to find a solution and help Bayern break down a stubborn deep block.
The 31-year-old has scored a barely believable 75 goals and 22 assists in 79 appearances since joining Bayern for a Bundesliga record fee of €100 million plus €10m bonuses in August 2023. He’s spent the past decade delivering the goods on a regular basis for both club and country, and he is the England national team’s all-time leading goalscorer with 69 goals in 103 appearances for the Three Lions. It begs the question: Why doesn’t Kane get the love he deserves? Why do so many football fans refuse to acknowledge Kane as one of the greatest center forwards that’s stepped onto a pitch?
The answer is twofold: firstly, his lack of silverware. You can’t always judge a book by its cover, and you can’t always judge a footballer by his trophy cabinet, but that hasn’t stopped many from doing just that. Kane has racked up all kinds of prizes, from three Premier League Golden Boots with Tottenham Hotspur, to one European Golden Shoe with Bayern, but for all of his individual accolades, he has yet to win a single trophy at the club or international level.
Kane first broke onto the scene in 2014/15, going from a sporadic player to one of the hottest center-forwards in Europe with 31 goals in 51 appearances in a season that saw Tottenham finish fifth and lose to Chelsea in the EFL Cup Final. He would continue his seismic ascent in North London and help transform Spurs from mere also-rans to genuine title challengers, finishing third, second, and third, during which Kane scored 28, 35, and 41 goals in all competitions, respectively.
The 2018/19 season would see Tottenham reach their first-ever Champions League Final, only to end up losing 2-0 to Liverpool. Kane followed that up with 24 goals and 2 assists in 34 appearances in the 2019/20 season, before taking it up a notch in 2020/21 with 33 goals and 17 assists. Kane had two close encounters with silverware in the post-COVID campaign; his Tottenham side pushed Manchester City all the way to the finish line, only to end up conceding an 82nd-minute goal and losing 1-0 in the EFL Cup Final. Three months later, England reached their first final at a major tournament since 1966, only to end up squandering an early lead to Italy in the UEFA European Championship Final and losing on penalties in front of their home supporters at Wembley.
The other reason for Kane’s lack of global appreciation is referred to as the Shiny object syndrome, where people commit undue attention to an idea or item that is new and trendy, yet drop it in entirely as soon as something new can take its place. We’ve grown so accustomed to Kane’s brilliance over the past decade, that we’ve struggled to give him the credit he truly deserves for his longevity, consistent performances, and relentless dedication to improve and add new layers to his game – we’d rather laud someone who hasn’t been in the spotlight for nearly as long.
Consider this: he’s scored at least 24 goals in each of his last 11 professional seasons, and with 213 goals, he’s only 47 goals off Alan Shearer as the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer despite playing 121 fewer matches. And despite only playing 54 matches in Europe’s premier competition, he sits 22nd in the all-time Champions League scoring charts with more goals than esteemed strikers like Samuel Eto’o, Wayne Rooney, and Luis Suárez.
When Kane left his boyhood club in 2023, it seemed that his first trophy was only a few months away. Since Tottenham last won a major trophy – the 2007/08 EFL Cup – Bayern have won 13 Bundesliga titles, seven DFB-Pokal titles and two Champions League titles, whilst their last trophyless season had come in 2011/12. Kane quickly adjusted to life in Germany and even finished as the top scorer in Europe with 44 goals and 12 assists, but he had little to show for it; Bayern failed to claim any silverware after losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals and relinquishing the domestic crown to Bayer Leverkusen after 11 straight championships. It seemed that Kane’s moment would never arrive, and that he was destined to spend his career in a purgatory of legendary individual performances and underwhelming team results.
However, every dog has his day, and after a decade of heartbreaking near-misses, it seems the footballing gods are finally starting to show a bit of grace and decorum towards the veteran striker. Bayern have turned the corner under new manager Vincent Kompany and look set to reclaim their status as kings of Germany, sitting eight points clear of second-placed Leverkusen with 10 matches remaining. And barring a collapse of historic proportions at Leverkusen next week, they will be amongst the continental elite’s final eight teams. The Bavarians have the chance to end the season with not two, but three trophies, as they prepare to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Kane has served as an inspiration for countless American fans, who have spent the past decade watching him dominate the highest level of football. So far, these Americans have been able to connect with Kane by watching YouTube compilations, or playing as him in a video game, or tuning into his games on television, or witnessing him in a preseason friendly. But unless they made the trek across the Atlantic, they wouldn't have had the chance to watch him play a competitive match of football. That will change this summer with the Club World Cup.
“I think football is growing more and more out in the States, so I think they’ll be excited to see some of the best teams – well, the best teams in the world – compete on a competitive level, as well,” said Kane.
“We know Bayern Munich have fans all over the world and plenty of fans in America, so it’s a chance for them to see us live in a competitive environment and, hopefully, as the tournament goes on it gets more and more intense and we see some big, big games.”
As he approaches 32 years of age, Harry Kane continues to stand out as a difference-maker in the final third and excel at the highest level of football for Bayern Munich and England, and today, he’s gradually inching his way towards the first trophy in his entire career.
Zach Lowy is a freelance football journalist who has written for leading outlets like FotMob, BetUS, Apuestas Deportivas, and who has appeared as a radio and television guest for BBC, SiriusXMFC, and various other platforms. After pursuing a global sports journalism degree at George Washington University, Zach has been able to tap into his multilingual background and interview major footballing figures in Spanish and Portuguese as well as operate the weekly podcast 'Zach Lowy's European Football Show' on BET Central.
