Harry Kane Eyes Ballon d'Or After Golden Shoe Triumph

Harry Kane stood in Munich with a second European Golden Shoe in his hands and his eyes fixed on an even bigger prize.

The Ballon d'Or.

The Bayern Munich striker and England captain was honoured on Wednesday after finishing as Europe's top scorer last season, and he made no attempt to hide where his ambition now lies after what he called his "best season ever".

Golden Shoe, greater hunger

Kane claimed the 2023-24 European Golden Shoe after a devastating first full campaign in Germany. This latest trophy, he admitted, "tasted even better than the first".

The numbers explain why.

The 33-year-old hit 36 goals in 31 Bundesliga matches, the third-highest tally in a single German top-flight season. He powered Bayern to a league and cup double, then kept scoring on every stage he stepped onto.

On the international front, he struck six times at the World Cup, moving clear as England's all-time leading scorer at the tournament with 14 goals. Across club and country, his total for the season climbed to a staggering 73.

No wonder he feels he has done all he can.

"Ultimately, I've done everything I can last season. It was my best season by far. I achieved a lot with the teams I was in," Kane said, aware that the final call on the Ballon d'Or rests elsewhere. "Obviously, that's out of my control. I know, of course, there's going to be a lot of talk about it from now until October when it's announced."

Chasing football’s highest crown

Kane’s year was about more than domestic dominance.

He led Bayern to the Champions League semi-finals, only to be edged out by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. With England, he went deep again on the global stage, reaching the World Cup semi-finals before a painful 2-1 defeat to Argentina.

Those near-misses may yet shape the Ballon d'Or debate. The body of work, though, is undeniable.

Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have lifted the European Golden Shoe more times than Kane. Messi owns six, all from his Barcelona days. Ronaldo has four — three with Real Madrid, one with Manchester United. Kane now sits just behind that pair, firmly in the company of the era’s most ruthless finishers.

Asked about the Ballon d'Or race, he batted the question away towards pundits and supporters.

"That's for you guys to debate and fans to debate," he said. "That's what makes the Ballon d'Or so special as well. Many players have had great seasons."

Bayern, and beyond

While the individual awards swirl around him, Kane’s future remains rooted in Bavaria — and could stretch further.

He revealed on Monday that talks are about to begin over a contract extension at Bayern, with his current deal running until 2027. The club have their spearhead, and he has the platform he always craved: a team competing for every major title, every season.

He has the goals. He has the trophies. Now comes the wait to see if the game’s most coveted individual honour will finally follow.