Ballon d’Or win will help keep Kane at Bayern, says Germany’s Matthaus

What the report says

Former Germany and Bayern Munich great Lothar Matthaus said Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or victory should make it easier for the club to keep the England striker beyond his current deal. In comments reported by Reuters and published by Al Jazeera on 28 October 2026, Matthaus described Kane’s connection with Bayern as strong and suggested the award strengthens the case for a contract extension.

Kane won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or on Monday, becoming the first English player to take the prize since Michael Owen in 2001. The 33-year-old was cited for a standout season in which he scored 61 goals in 51 matches across all competitions as Bayern completed a domestic league and cup double. He also helped England reach the World Cup semifinals, scoring six goals at the tournament.

Matthaus, who won the Ballon d’Or in 1990 after Germany’s World Cup triumph, said Bayern gave Kane the platform to reach this level and called him an international ambassador for football. Kane joined Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023 in a reported 100 million-euro move and has since won the Bundesliga twice. He is now in talks with the club over a new contract.

The comments come as Bayern sit top of the Bundesliga and prepare to face Magdeburg in the German Cup second round. The broader significance is that Kane’s award may reduce speculation over his future and reinforce Bayern’s status as the club most closely linked to his continued success.