For over a decade, Harry Kane, one of football’s most prolific strikers, was synonymous not only with goals but also with an elusive narrative: the “Harry Kane trophy curse.” Despite a career glittering with individual accolades—England’s all-time top scorer, the Premier League’s second-highest goalscorer, and multiple Golden Boots—the team silverware that defines footballing greatness remained agonizingly out of reach. This narrative followed Kane from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich, fueling debates about luck, destiny, and whether one player could truly be “cursed.” On May 4, 2025, that curse was emphatically shattered as Bayern Munich clinched their 33rd Bundesliga title, delivering Kane his first major trophy at the age of 31.
The genesis of the curse
The “Harry Kane trophy curse” wasn’t born from a single moment but rather a series of heart-wrenching near misses that began to form a pattern. At Tottenham Hotspur, where Kane rose from academy prospect to club legend, he played 435 matches, scoring 280 goals and providing 64 assists. Yet, despite his individual brilliance, Spurs remained a club perennially on the cusp of glory without crossing the finish line.
Kane’s first major brush with silverware came in the 2015 League Cup final, where Tottenham fell 2-0 to Chelsea. Two years later, the 2016-17 Premier League season saw Spurs finish second to Chelsea, seven points adrift, despite Kane’s 29 goals earning him the Golden Boot. The 2019 UEFA Champions League final was perhaps the most gut-wrenching moment: Tottenham, led by Kane, lost 2-0 to Liverpool, with Kane himself struggling to make an impact after returning from injury. The 2021 League Cup final added to the tally of runner-up medals, as Manchester City claimed a 1-0 victory.
Internationally, Kane’s England career mirrored this frustration. At the 2018 World Cup, he won the Golden Boot with six goals, but England fell in the semifinals to Croatia. The 2020 and 2024 European Championship finals saw England lose to Italy and Spain, respectively, with Kane captaining the side in both. The 2018-19 UEFA Nations League third-place finish added another layer to the narrative. Across six major finals—three with Tottenham and three with England—Kane had nothing to show but heartbreak.
These repeated near misses gave rise to the “curse” narrative, a term amplified by rival fans and media. Social media posts on platforms like X began to jest about Kane’s inability to win, with memes and comments labeling him football’s ultimate “nearly man.” The idea of a curse gained traction not because of any mystical force but because the pattern was undeniable: Kane’s teams consistently fell short, often in dramatic fashion.
The move to Bayern: A curse exported?
In August 2023, Kane made a seismic move to Bayern Munich for €100 million, leaving Tottenham after nearly two decades. The transfer was seen as a calculated step to break the curse. Bayern, after all, were German football’s juggernaut, having won 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles from 2012 to 2023. Kane’s arrival was expected to guarantee silverware, with the striker himself stating that adding trophies to his goal-scoring records was a primary motivation.
However, the 2023-24 season defied expectations. Kane’s debut came in the DFL-Supercup, where Bayern lost 3-0 to RB Leipzig, with Kane substituted into a losing effort. In the Bundesliga, Kane was phenomenal, scoring 36 goals in 32 games, but Bayern finished third, 18 points behind an invincible Bayer Leverkusen side led by Xabi Alonso. The DFB-Pokal saw Bayern exit early, and a Champions League semifinal loss to Real Madrid capped a trophyless season—the club’s first in 12 years. Posts on X from May 2024, such as one from @FootyAccums stating, “This Harry Kane curse is honestly scary,” captured the sentiment that Kane had brought his misfortune to Munich.
The narrative intensified because Bayern’s failures were so uncharacteristic. Kane’s individual brilliance—breaking the record for the fastest 50 Bundesliga goals in just 43 games—only underscored the irony. Critics argued that the curse was less about Kane and more about timing, with Bayern undergoing a transitional phase under Thomas Tuchel. Yet the label stuck, with rival fans delighting in the idea that Kane’s presence jinxed even a club as dominant as Bayern.
The psychological weight
The “curse” wasn’t just a media construct; it carried a psychological burden. Kane, known for his professionalism and resilience, occasionally addressed the narrative with a mix of humor and defiance. After receiving a yellow card against Mainz in April 2025, which led to a suspension for a potential title-clinching match against RB Leipzig, Kane called the decision “crazy” but insisted it wouldn’t dampen his joy if Bayern won the title. In an interview with Absolut Fußball, he laughed off the curse talk, saying, “Maybe it would stop some people from talking about the fact I haven’t won a title yet.”
Yet the constant scrutiny likely weighed on him. Former Tottenham managers like Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte, as well as England’s Gareth Southgate, had failed to deliver trophies with Kane in their squads, reinforcing the narrative. Vincent Kompany, Bayern’s manager in 2024-25, acknowledged Kane’s contribution, stating, “It doesn’t take away a single percent of his contribution this season,” when discussing Kane’s suspension. The curse narrative, while partly tongue-in-cheek, highlighted the pressure on Kane to prove he could be a winner, not just a scorer.
The curse breaks: Bundesliga glory
The 2024-25 season marked a turning point. Under Vincent Kompany, a surprise appointment after his relegation with Burnley, Bayern Munich rediscovered their dominance. Kane, leading the line, scored 24 goals in 29 Bundesliga games, five more than any other player, positioning him to win the Kicker-Torjägerkanone for the second consecutive season. Bayern’s attacking prowess, with a goal difference of +61, was driven by Kane’s clinical finishing and leadership.
The title race came to a head in early May 2025. On May 3, Bayern faced RB Leipzig in a match that could have clinched the title with a win. Kane, however, was suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, watching from the stands as Bayern let a 3-2 lead slip, with Yussuf Poulsen’s 94th-minute equalizer resulting in a 3-3 draw. Social media erupted, with posts on X lamenting Kane’s “curse” striking again, and cameras caught a despondent Kane pitchside, having prematurely descended to celebrate.
But the wait was short-lived. On May 4, 2025, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern’s closest rivals, drew 2-2 with Freiburg, leaving Bayern eight points clear with two games remaining. The Bundesliga title was secured, and Kane’s trophy drought was over. Posts on X celebrated the moment: @MirrorFootball declared, “Trophyless no more,” while @urn1231 noted Kane’s Instagram post of a trophy emoji and a video of him singing Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” Bayern’s 33rd title was Kane’s first, a moment of vindication after 540 matches, 358 goals, and six lost finals across his career.
How the curse was broken
Vincent Kompany’s role cannot be overstated. Despite skepticism about his appointment, Kompany instilled a commanding style, with Bayern averaging nearly three goals per game. Kane’s integration into the squad was seamless, filling the void left by Robert Lewandowski and elevating teammates like Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala. A pivotal moment came in the Champions League, where Kane’s performance helped Bayern “pulverize” Leverkusen, breaking their spirit and paving the way for Bundesliga dominance, as noted by The Guardian.
Kane’s own resilience was crucial. His 24 goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga, coupled with his work rate—praised by Kompany as that of a “youth player”—set the tone. The narrative of the curse, while persistent, seemed to fuel Kane’s determination. As he told reporters, “If we manage to do it after all the hard work and dedication we’ve put in this season, it would be a huge celebration.”