The Triumphs and Trials of Harry Kane
In the section dedicated to Harry Kane’s honours on his Wikipedia page (yes, I admit to browsing), the extensive list of his individual accolades is so lengthy that it hardly fits on a laptop screen. On mobile devices, it requires quite a bit of scrolling to absorb all his achievements, which begin with Millwall’s Young Player of the Year award for the 2011–12 season and extend to a remarkable collection of Golden Boots that could easily fill a spacious wardrobe. In total, there are twenty-eight bullet points highlighting an impressive 49 individual achievements, most notably the World Cup Golden Boot he earned in 2018, along with his six selections to the Premier League’s Team of the Season.
It’s an astonishing collection, and let’s not overlook his status as the all-time leading goalscorer for both England and Tottenham Hotspur. While there may not be a mantlepiece grand enough to display this England great’s vast array of individual awards, his trophy cabinet remains conspicuously bare. This absence of silverware speaks to what many consider one of football’s most infamous “curses.”
Aside from the rather obscure Torneio Internacional Algarve trophy he won with England’s U17 squad in 2010, Kane’s list of honours includes a disheartening tally of six tournaments where he finished as a runner-up: three times with Tottenham, twice with the England national team, and once with Bayern Munich. This incomplete collection is a stark contrast to the pages of serial winners like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, and it even includes the disappointment of a third-place finish in the Nations League.
With just one tangible trophy to his name, won 15 years ago in Portugal at the age of 16, Kane’s list of near-misses continues to grow. However, this season presents a promising opportunity for him to finally break this unfortunate streak at the age of 33. Bayern Munich may have been eliminated from the DFB-Pokal, but they currently sit comfortably atop the Bundesliga, boasting an eight-point lead over defending champions Bayer Leverkusen with just ten games left to play.
Leading the scoring charts in Germany with 21 goals this season, Kane’s impressive tally of 36 league goals last term earned him the prestigious European Golden Shoe—the first time he outscored all players in Europe’s top leagues. Surprisingly, this achievement didn’t culminate in a trophy, which few anticipated. Many believed his summer switch from Tottenham to Bayern Munich would guarantee him silverware, as he transitioned from one of the century’s biggest underachievers to a club synonymous with success.
However, the unexpected happened: Leverkusen completed the league season unbeaten, and social media was rife with banter surrounding Kane’s inability to secure a trophy in what became Bayern’s first trophyless campaign since the 2011-12 season. Despite ending a streak of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles, Bayern now appears poised to reclaim their crown, potentially granting Kane the silverware he has long sought.
Moreover, Kane could conclude this curse in style. The Champions League draw was relatively favorable for Bayern, even though they finished 12th in the league phase. Their route to the final avoids formidable opponents like Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Arsenal. Just recently, both Bayern and Kane made a strong statement, with Kane scoring twice in a decisive 3-0 victory over Leverkusen in the first leg of the last 16. This performance brought Kane’s Champions League tally to nine goals this season, surpassing his previous eight goals from last season and placing him at the top of the scoring charts alongside Kylian Mbappé. His outstanding display also earned him UEFA’s Player of the Match award—a small piece of silverware that could signal more to come.
While Bayern may not be the indomitable force they once were, they are the most recent Champions League winners in their half of the draw, having lifted their sixth European Cup in 2020. Only Barcelona stands as a more favored contender with bookmakers to challenge Bayern’s hopes for a shot at the title. The Champions League final is set to take place at Bayern’s Allianz Arena on May 31, presenting Kane with a potential chance for redemption, six years after Tottenham’s defeat to Liverpool in the 2019 final.
While the odds may be stacked against them, particularly with Barcelona also leading La Liga, it’s safe to say that Kane is on the verge of winning his first league title. Absent a significant drop in form, this achievement seems inevitable. You can bet that Kane, along with every player in the Bayern locker room, is determined to see this through, supported by head coach Vincent Kompany, who is eager to silence his critics.
Ultimately, this means that every football fan—okay, let’s be realistic—every England fan, and perhaps even every non-Arsenal supporting England fan (or just any sensible football enthusiast capable of casting aside tribalism to appreciate true talent) should celebrate the prospect of Kane finally lifting silverware in just a couple of months. One of England’s greatest players deserves to shed the title of football’s greatest player to never win a trophy. And that should—a word worth italicizing—soon become a label of the past.
With at least one trophy within reach, Harry Kane’s moment of triumph may finally be on the horizon.
