Harry Kane Finally Lifts a Trophy – And Bayern Munich Might’ve Saved a Legacy
After what felt like a never-ending montage of near-misses, tears at Wembley, and more silver medal finishes than a Norwegian skier, Harry Kane finally — finally — has a trophy. The English footballing equivalent of Charles Barkley mercifully earned his first ring. Or, at least, the Bundesliga version of one.
On Sunday, Bayern Munich clinched their 33rd (yes, thirty-three) Bundesliga title without kicking a ball. Why? Because Bayer Leverkusen — the team that looked like they might run this league for the next ten years after last season — stumbled to a 2–2 draw against Freiburg. That draw mathematically eliminated them from title contention and handed the championship back to Bayern. Champagne was officially uncorked. Confetti machines were unlocked. Harry Kane was finally a winner.
Kane didn’t even suit up for Bayern’s previous game. He was up in the stands, serving a suspension for picking up his fifth yellow card of the season. After grinding through 694 matches of heartbreak, the irony of winning his first major trophy from the bleachers is likely something that will fuel the Englishman in future years. Yussuf Poulsen’s 94th-minute equalizer for Leipzig on Saturday delayed the party, but only temporarily. By Sunday, the soccer gods had finally decided it was Kane’s time.
Kane had been the living embodiment of “almost” for years. A Champions League final loss with Spurs. Two Carabao Cup final defeats. England falling in two Euro finals. He even managed to lose a German Super Cup final on his Bayern debut. But now? All that emotional baggage has a carry-on companion: a trophy. At long last.
Kane celebrated like a man who’d just removed a 500-pound gorilla from his back. First came the trophy emoji on Instagram. Then a video of him singing “We Are the Champions,” drenched in champagne. It wasn’t subtle. And it shouldn’t be. This was the emotional release of a decades-long quest.
Let’s not forget — the man is still really good at soccer. He’s on pace to lead the Bundesliga in scoring for a second straight year. He shattered a league record with 60 goals in his first 60 league games. He’s England’s all-time top scorer and second in Premier League history. He just needed a little gold to go with all that greatness.
Vincent Kompany has managed to guide Bayern back to glory. His post-match speech was part coach, part motivational speaker: “You’ve done this together. You’ve won it as a team.”
Now Bayern will lift the trophy next weekend at home against Monchengladbach. And Kane? He’s finally the guy holding the hardware. After all the “he’s too loyal,” “he can’t win,” and “should’ve gone to City” talk — this one hits different.
So raise your steins, Germany. The curse is over. Harry Kane, Champion. Finally.
Photo: Кирилл Венедиктов. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.