MUNICH – Less than an hour into a casual second-round cup match, a pocket of Bayern Munich fans in one corner of the Allianz Arena had moved on from reveling over Michael Olise's brace against second-division side Magdeburg. Their attention was instead on the group of substitutes who were warming up behind the opponent's goal and one person in particular.
"Ha-rry! Ha-rry!," they called.
It was a likely place for Harry Kane to spend a Wednesday evening, no matter the circumstances. Considering Bayern's relative strengths, the coaching staff had already hoped to give Kane the night off, especially with Borussia Dortmund awaiting this weekend and a trip to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League coming up on Tuesday. This was no ordinary midweek cup game, though, the pre-match guard of honor from his teammates as clear a sign as any of the occasion. It was Kane's first time back since winning the Ballon d'Or on Monday, doing so in his hometown of London.
The warm-ups were the only glimpse the crowd got of him on Wednesday, Bayern getting business done swiftly with a 6-1 win. Yet, Kane's appearance on the sidelines alone was celebratory, both after becoming the first Englishman to win the individual accolade in 25 years and the first player from the Bundesliga to do it since Matthias Sammer accomplished the feat in 1996. It was the type of thing that required an afterparty that allegedly stretched long after a delayed, bloated ceremony came to an end at around 11 p.m. local time, though Kane insisted he "didn't party too hard." It also allowed him to follow up a crowning achievement the only way he knows how – "straight back to work."
Kane trained on Tuesday and would have been ready to play if called upon on Wednesday, and is expected to prepare as usual for Saturday's clash with Dortmund. It comes as little surprise for a player who has rarely chased individual accolades. He has repeatedly insisted that his goal every four years is to win the World Cup with England, not the golden boot and left boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur for greater collective opportunities with Bayern in 2023 despite being just 47 goals behind Alan Shearer's Premier League goalscoring record at the age of 30. The spotlight has followed Kane for much of his career but he has always chosen to share it. There is no flexibility with the attention the Ballon d'Or carries, though; only one person can win it, no matter how team-oriented that person happens to be.
"It's strange," Kane said. "It's not my normal thing to enjoy. Even the guys, when I was walking out to warm up and they're all there clapping. I don't know. I get quite, maybe, embarrassed by it, but I know this is a big deal and I felt that obviously in the event, I felt that since with the reception and how much messages I've got from not just friends and family but people sending my number to other coaches and people just that have known me or know of me and they all wanted to just say well done. I think I'm still processing everything, to be honest, but look, I know it's a really big deal so I appreciate everyone, and you know, even on Saturday, I know we're going to do something before the game and all this, and it's important to do because it's a big celebration as well."
Even in his hometown on Monday, surrounded both by loved ones and his Bayern teammates who chanted his name in the London Palladium as Ronaldo revealed he had won the sport's ultimate individual prize, Kane felt out of place.
"A lot of nerves and just different emotions compared to a football match or anything like that and a lot of waiting around and just trying to picture what it'd be like if I did win but honestly, just really special," he said. "The support I've had from friends, family, fans, text messages, social media has just been overwhelming almost."
There is a lot Kane has not considered about life post-Ballon d'Or, either, like where the trophy might rest or what will come of the gold-flaked schnitzel that was made by a Bavarian restaurant and delivered to his home.
"I didn't actually eat it yesterday," he said. "With the match being today, I have a routine of what I eat and stuff but now, obviously, I appreciate it. It's a nice tradition that we have so to have a gold one, let's just keep them coming."
True to form, Kane has found the most comfort in a busy week in a return to his familiar routine.
"I think just being back to football," he said. "It feels like the Freiburg game [on Sunday] was six weeks ago. So much has happened in 48 hours. It was nice just to be back. A bit of normality, seeing the fans, getting a reception before the game, obviously, and then honestly just being back with the boys and just watching football and watching the boys play again so it's been a whirlwind of a 48 hours, and it's nice to just kind of be here and feel at home again."
He admitted he needs to add a new item to the routine at home, though – protecting the Ballon d'Or from his four children, aged nine to three.
"My wife and kids are still in London right now," he noted. "They get back on Friday so I haven't actually seen my kids since I won. I spoke to them, obviously, on FaceTime and stuff so I'm excited to see them and show them the trophy. I know they'll be trying to play with it and pick it up and it's quite heavy and so I might have to keep an eye on it this time but normally, the two boys, especially, just smash the ball around and then whoever wins picks up the trophy that I bring home but I'll have to explain it's a little bit more precious, so we'll have to keep an eye on it."