Harry Kane says it was not his celebrations after winning the Ballon d’Or this week that left him unavailable for Bayern’s DFB-Pokal win against Magdeburg on Wednesday.
Kane was an unused substitute on Wednesday, two days after becoming the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to win the Ballon d’Or. He beat Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the award at Monday’s ceremony in London.
But the England captain said his absence from the Magdeburg match had been planned before the award. Bayern’s coaching staff had already discussed giving him a break after a demanding run of matches over the previous six weeks.
He is expected to return for the Bundesliga game against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
“I didn’t party too hard!” Kane said. “I could have played, but to be honest, Danksy [Bayern assistant Aaron Danks] spoke to me and said they were thinking of trying to give me a break in this game, even before the Ballon d’Or, because I’ve played a lot of games in the last six weeks or so.”
Dieser Treffer ist für Harry. ❤️🎯
Michael Olise eiskalt vom Punkt. 😮💨 https://t.co/hTbiFBFZwY
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) October 29, 2026
Bayern won 6-1. Kane was close to coming on during the second half, but Bayern scored their fourth goal and put the tie beyond Magdeburg. Michael Olise scored twice in a convincing win for Vincent Kompany’s side.
“It just worked well, the guys who started did really well. There was a moment in the game where he was thinking of bringing me on and we scored the fourth goal and killed the game off,” Kane said.
“All in all, I think it was important to get a rest. It’s been a big emotional load, going through the big high on Monday.”
Kane will return to training on Thursday and expects to be ready for Saturday’s meeting with Dortmund, a huge fixture in the Bundesliga calendar.
Die ganze Welt feiert 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚. 🌎✨
📸 IG: piccadillylights & oceanoutdooruk https://t.co/wGoyHT758i
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) October 29, 2026
The striker also spoke about the experience of winning the Ballon d’Or, admitting that the ceremony brought a different kind of pressure from the demands of playing football.
“Crazy week,” he said. “What an unbelievable night on Monday. Obviously a lot of nerves and different emotions compared to a football match or anything like that.”
He described the support from friends, family and supporters as overwhelming and said he had celebrated with those closest to him before returning to work.
“Had a good night after the event, celebrated with the ones close to me and then straight back work and just trying to take it all in really.”
