Harry Kane, with MARCA: “The Ballon d’Or? I don’t like talking about myself — the 73 goals speak for themselves”

Harry Edward Kane (born 1993, London) welcomes us into a room at Munich's Allianz Arena around 11:50 PM, following a match. Harry is the consummate professional in every respect—including his commitment to speaking with MARCA regardless of the hour, and even posing for special photos. He strikes a pose with the affable charm of a true gentleman of the game.

Question: Let’s start by talking about the Champions League. You have won everything at German level, which is why the Champions League appears to be your biggest challenge with Bayern.

Answer: Yes, exactly. Last season was really good for us: second place in the League Phase, with seven wins and one defeat. Then we had some very good matches: Atalanta, Real Madrid … That one was very special, and then PSG, of course. Two incredible games for the fans. Our narrow defeat was difficult to come to terms with. We were very close; we had the confidence and quality required to reach the final. But that is the Champions League: everything is decided by very small margins.

A.: It is about doing more or less the same thing and taking that final step. This Bayern team has the necessary hunger as a group and as a team — and so does the coach.

Q.: The final will be held in Madrid, and in the League Phase you will face Atlético.

A.: Yes. And I don’t think I have ever played against them, so it will be my first time. Atlético have shown how good they can be. They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, and they have all my respect. It will be a difficult match, but we will be prepared. I lost a Champions League final in that stadium, the Metropolitano, with Tottenham, and it was a difficult moment. I hope to return and have a different story this time.

Q.: You are an unusual case: the older you get, the more goals you score. What is your secret?

A.: One of them is someone you know very well [Harry is referring to his personal sports doctor, the Madrid-born Alejandro Elorriaga]. Alejandro has played a very important role in my success.

Q.: What has he given you since you began working with him seven years ago?

A.: Alejandro plays a fundamental role in my current condition. We do a lot behind the scenes, we have been working together for six years now, and he is one of the main reasons I can perform at this level and play so many matches. It is no coincidence that I have continued to improve over these years, even though some people believe that performance tends to decline at this age. In my case, almost the opposite has happened. The work Alejandro and I do is extremely rewarding and satisfying for both of us. He is also a great person, and we spend a lot of time together, so naturally I want to thank him enormously for everything he does.

Q.: And what other secrets do you have?

A.: Football is sometimes about timing, and being at Bayern, with the great team I have around me, allows me to score a lot of goals and also contribute to the game — passing, defending and doing everything I enjoy in order to help the team. Honestly, I feel as good physically and mentally as I ever have — better than ever! I have to make the most of this moment because, as you get older, time does not last forever. But right now I am in a really good place.

Q.: Don’t you ever get tired of celebrating goals?

A.: Never. Scoring is the best feeling possible. It is an incredible release of adrenaline. There is also a huge sense of relief. It is a feeling I know I will miss when I stop playing.

Q.: You are one of the candidates for the Ballon d’Or. I know you do not like talking about your own achievements [unlike others …], but 73 goals in 65 matches — for Bayern and England in 2025/26 — deserve recognition.

A.: It is complicated. I have never liked talking too much about myself. The only thing I would say is that last season was incredible, both personally and as a team. By far, it was the best season of my life. It is true that scoring 73 goals — the second-highest total in history [after Lionel Messi’s 82 goals in 69 appearances in 2011/12] — speaks for itself. I am extremely proud of it. I can only thank my teammates and everyone who helped make it possible. But the Ballon d’Or is not in my hands. It depends on the people who vote. From my point of view, last season is already in the past. Now I am focused on this season and excited to see what else I can do. I know there will be a lot of talk about the award until October because it is a major prize.

Q.: There is an interesting detail, Harry. The 2026 ceremony will take place in London for the first time. What does that suggest to you?

A.: Yes, a lot of people have mentioned it to me, and perhaps it is a good omen. Of course, having it take place in my hometown would make it even more special. So yes, it feels strange that the ceremony is being held there this year. We will have to wait and see what happens.

Q.: You always give credit to your teammates. You did so when receiving the Golden Shoe [the award for the leading goalscorer in Europe’s leagues]. By the way, if you win a third Golden Shoe, you would join Messi [six] and Cristiano [four] on the historic podium. Nobody apart from those two has won three.

A.: Messi and Ronaldo [Cristiano] dominated football for an entire generation. They are two of the greatest players in history. Being part of that conversation is already something special. It is a goal. As a striker, I am expected to score goals. The Golden Shoe is not my only objective, but of course I know that if I win it, I will also be helping the team. So all of that simply motivates me. Every time I win one, I want another, and then another. This time will be no different. I hope to be there again this season, scoring as many goals as I can in the Bundesliga, and we will see whether I can win another one.

Q.: You crossed paths with Messi, by the way, in a controversial World Cup match — that England–Argentina semi-final. But afterwards, you and Leo showed enormous respect for each other. How do you remember that?

A.: Obviously, that day was difficult for me. It was a tough moment to be eliminated in that way. But I have enormous respect for Messi. I watched him grow as a footballer. I think he is simply an incredible player and, according to the people who know him, also an incredible person. I have only dealt with him a couple of times, but he seems to me to be a very humble person. He has always put the team before himself, and I think that is one of the reasons Argentina achieved the success they did. What I remember from that day is hugging him and wishing him good luck for the final. It was not our World Cup in the end, but that is what a World Cup is about: the best players facing each other on the biggest stage and, of course, there will always be a loser. After losing, I tried to keep my head up and show respect for the other team. I think that was important, especially towards Leo, because of how incredible he has been in football for so many years.

Q.: Since I am from Madrid, I have to ask you about José Mourinho, your former manager at Tottenham. Was he someone “special” to you?

A.: Yes, I adore José. We had a really good relationship at Tottenham. It did not end in the way we wanted, and it was difficult that José did not get the chance to manage that final [Kane is referring to the 2020/21 Carabao Cup final, as Mourinho was dismissed in April]. It was difficult for me as well. But yes, I had a very good relationship with him. I played some of my best matches at Tottenham during his time there. I won the Golden Shoe and also the award for the league’s top assister in the same year. He gave me a lot of freedom to be myself, to play and to drop deep to receive the ball. And as a person, he is someone who understands every detail of the game — with the ball, without the ball, tactically, with the referee … whatever it is, he understands every situation. I have a great deal of respect for him. It is true that we have not seen much of each other since he left Tottenham, but perhaps we will face each other in the Champions League this year, and it would be good to meet him again.

Q.: Would you say that, with José at the club, Real Madrid are an even more difficult opponent for Bayern?

A.: Real have signed good players, and Mourinho is a great coach who will get the best out of the players he has. Madrid always have some of the best players in the world, and this year is no different, just as it was last year. We know there is a strong possibility that we will face them later in the competition. Real Madrid will always be there in the Champions League, in the latter rounds. We were better than them last year [Bayern eliminated them in the quarter-finals], but we also know it was a very difficult match. And with José now, it will be even more complicated.

Q.: Jude Bellingham has made a good start to the season. How do you see him?

A.: Jude and I had a very good connection at the World Cup because of the way we played and passed the ball to each other. We had a great connection both with and without the ball. We also built a really strong relationship off the pitch, and that can only help the national team. It is great to see how well he has adapted to Madrid. I spoke to him a little during the World Cup about José Mourinho, and I knew he would love Mourinho. I also knew José would adore Jude, and obviously it seems they already have a good relationship. Jude has made a fantastic start. From an England perspective, it is brilliant to see.

Q.: Could you have played in La Liga at some point in the past?

A.: There were moments when that was possible. I would not say there were clear opportunities, but there were some conversations in the past. I have a great deal of respect for La Liga. Barcelona, Madrid and Atlético are some of the biggest clubs in the world. I grew up watching Ronaldo, Messi and others. I have enormous respect for those teams. As we know, anything can happen in football. I never rule anything out, but for now, as I said earlier, I am extremely happy in Germany.

Q.: In a few days, Spain’s second star will make its debut at Wembley against England in the Nations League. How do you see that match?

A.: Difficult. Spain are the current European champions and world champions. We have been very close to them in recent years, but Spain have been the team that managed to go all the way, whereas we have not. We have enormous respect for them. But it is also an opportunity for us to make a good start to this Nations League campaign. Spain won it a couple of years ago, and that helped them subsequently reach the level they are at now. For England, they are a model. We have not won a trophy for a very long time, and perhaps this year we can do it with the Nations League. That could help us ahead of Euro 2028, which will be played at home. But yes, against Spain it will be a difficult match because of the way they keep possession and the players they have. I am really looking forward to playing that game.

Q.: I will finish by talking about your family. A wife you have known since your teenage years, four children … Is that one of the secrets of your career?

A.: I think so. I do not think people talk enough about how important family stability is in professional football, especially when we are talking about young players. It is very important. I have been extremely lucky to have found my wife, who even went to school with me, and to have my parents, my brother and my in-laws here. I know it is not like that for everyone, because each person has a different situation. But I think that when you are happy off the pitch, when you are settled and life is going well, that carries over into being happy on the pitch. So I am extremely grateful for everything they do for me and for the support they give me. Everything I do, I try to do as a team and together with them. They are my greatest support.