Kane says he would trade Ballon d'Or for Champions League glory with Bayern
- Harry Kane says he would rather win the Champions League with Bayern Munich than keep his Ballon d'Or.
- The England captain won his first Ballon d'Or last week and faces Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
- Kane also said he is close to extending his Bayern contract, which runs to June 2027.
Harry Kane has said he would swap his newly won Ballon d'Or for a Champions League title with Bayern Munich, putting team success above personal awards.
The England captain, who was named the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner last week, spoke at a press conference on Monday ahead of Bayern's Champions League match against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Asked whether he would exchange the individual prize for the European trophy, he said: "Yes, I would choose the Champions League."
Kane described the Ballon d'Or as one of the best feelings of his career but said lifting the Champions League with his teammates would mean more. "Team trophies are why we play football," he said, adding that celebrating a European title with the club would be "simply an incredible feeling."
He also said he hopes to win both, and believes Bayern gives him the chance to do it.
Why it matters to Nigerian fans
Kane is one of the biggest names in world football, and Nigerian supporters follow the Champions League closely, often staying up late to watch the midweek matches. His choice between a personal award and a team trophy is the kind of debate fans here have about their own favourite players.
The 33-year-old spent most of his career at Tottenham Hotspur, where he became the club's all-time leading scorer with 280 goals in 435 appearances, but won no major trophy there. He reached the 2019 Champions League final with Spurs and lost 2-0 to Liverpool.
He joined Bayern in August 2023 and has since won the Bundesliga, German Cup and German Super Cup. The Champions League is still missing from his collection.
His Ballon d'Or followed a 2025/26 season in which he scored 73 goals for Bayern and England. He is the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001, finishing ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal.
What happens next
Bayern visit Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, and Kane returns to the Metropolitano Stadium, where he lost the 2019 final. The same stadium will host this season's final on June 5, 2027.
Kane also confirmed he is close to extending his Bayern contract, which currently runs until June 2027.
