Harry Kane says he would swap his Ballon d’Or for a Champions League winner’s medal, even though he became the first Englishman since 2001 to win the award.
The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker beat Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to the accolade. Speaking at a news conference before Bayern’s Champions League fixture with Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital, Kane said winning Europe’s elite club competition was now at the forefront of his mind after a “rollercoaster” week.
“Team trophies are why we play football. The team aspect of our sport is really, really important,” Kane said.
“The Ballon d’Or last week was one of the best feelings I’ve had in my life and my career.
“But to have moments with the team, celebrations with the club – to be able to lift the Champions League with Bayern would be an incredible feeling.”
When asked whether he had to pick between lifting the European Cup and the Ballon d’Or, the England captain said: “I would choose the Champions League, but I have the opportunity to do both – let’s see what happens.
“The Ballon d’Or is a highlight, it puts me on an even bigger level, but you want to have these big finals, the Champions League, having that feeling of emotion with your team-mates as well.”
A place among England’s elite
Kane was feted at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, becoming just the fifth Englishman to win the award. He joins Michael Owen, Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan on an elite list.
Bayern and their supporters also paid tribute to Kane before Saturday’s Der Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund. The Bavarian club had not produced a Ballon d’Or winner since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claimed the award in 1981.
“It’s been a rollercoaster since the celebrations,” said Kane, who scored 73 goals for club and country last season as he helped Bayern win a domestic treble.
“It was a huge high for me, but also for the club. It was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in my life, without a doubt.
“But we’ve had some lows and a lot of extremes we’ve had to deal with. It’s brought us closer together and we fight for every moment.”
‘Extremely close’ to a new contract
Kane said there had been “good conversations” in recent days over a new contract at Bayern, and he was “extremely close” to putting pen to paper. He is expected to sign a new deal “within the next few days”.
“A lot of the bigger stuff has been ironed out and we are happy with,” said Kane, who joined Bayern from Tottenham for £86.4m (100m euros) in August 2023.
“But in every contract there are loads of little things that go into it, small details that in the end the lawyers have to thrash out and figure out.
“So all in all I would say it is more days than weeks. From what I have heard, the conversations have gone well again today.
“Hopefully we will be in a place to do something within the next few days.”
Kompany’s absence
Bayern’s preparations have also been overshadowed by the absence of head coach Vincent Kompany. The Belgian was taken to hospital after collapsing during a training session involving the club’s reserve team on 23 October. He was discharged five days later and is continuing his recovery, with no definitive return date set. Assistant Aaron Danks has overseen first-team duties in his absence.
Kane acknowledged the difficulty of being without his manager but insisted the squad was coping well.
“We’re missing our coach, but everyone has the opportunity to prove themselves and there’s a long way to go,” he said.