Harry Kane Says He Would Swap His Ballon d'Or for a Champions League Medal

Harry Kane says he would trade his Ballon d'Or for a Champions League winner's medal. The Bayern Munich striker made the comment at a news conference before his club's Champions League game against Atletico Madrid, BBC Sport reported.

The Ballon d'Or is the individual prize for the world's best player, and Kane has just won it. He beat Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to the award. He is the first Englishman to win it since Michael Owen in 2001, and the fifth in total, following Owen, Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan.

The Champions League is Europe's top club competition, where the best teams from across the continent play each season. Asked to pick between lifting the European Cup and the Ballon d'Or, Kane did not hesitate. "I would choose the Champions League, but I have the opportunity to do both," he said. He added that "team trophies are why we play football."

The choice is not just talk. Kane scored 14 Champions League goals last season, Bayern said, second only to Mbappe, who scored 15. He and Bayern teammate Michael Olise were also named in the official Champions League Team of the Season for 2025/26.

Kane's future at the club is also in the news. He said he is "extremely close" to signing a new contract with Bayern and expects to do so "within the next few days." Before the award, former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus said that winning the Ballon d'Or would help convince Kane to extend his deal.

Bayern's week has had its scares too. Coach Vincent Kompany collapsed in training and was taken to hospital three days before Kane's award was announced. Kane said the team is doing well despite the rollercoaster week.

Fans have also been celebrating. Bayern said Kane's win prompted more than 15,000 messages from supporters in over 166 countries.

Atletico's manager, Diego Simeone, joined the praise. He called Kane a worthy winner ahead of the match against Bayern, a reminder that rivals can admire a player as much as anyone.

For fans who do not follow the awards closely, the message is simple. The best player in the world says the team trophy still means more to him, and he has the chance to win both. Whether Champions League glory follows in this season's competition is the next question.