Kane Returns to Bayern After Award

Harry Kane was back at training on Wednesday, two days after accepting the Ballon d'Or in London. He did not play in Bayern Munich's 6-1 victory over 1. FC Magdeburg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal. The coaching staff rested him to prepare for a match against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday and a Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Kane trained on Tuesday and was available if needed.

Fans in the Allianz Arena saw him warming up behind the opposing goal. A group in one corner of the stadium chanted his name less than an hour into the match. Before kickoff, teammates formed a guard of honor. Kane described the applause as embarrassing but acknowledged the scale of the achievement. He said he is still processing the many messages he received. He called the past 48 hours a whirlwind and noted it was nice to feel at home again.

Kane is the first Englishman to win the award in 25 years. He is also the first Bundesliga player to do so since Matthias Sammer in 1996. The ceremony at the London Palladium on Monday ended around 11 p.m. local time. An afterparty reportedly continued well beyond that. Kane said he did not party too hard and went straight back to work. He described the moment as involving a lot of nerves and different emotions compared to a football match.

The award is not his primary focus. Kane has stated his aim every four years is to win the World Cup with England. He left Tottenham Hotspur for Bayern in 2023 to pursue greater collective opportunities. At the time, he was 47 goals short of Alan Shearer's Premier League scoring record. He said it is strange to enjoy individual honors because it is not his normal thing to do. A pre-game celebration is planned for Saturday, which he described as a big celebration.

Practical details of the trophy remain undecided. Kane has not chosen where it will sit in his home. He had not yet eaten the gold-flaked schnitzel delivered by a Bavarian restaurant because his match-day routine came first. He called the delivery a nice tradition and joked that they should keep them coming.

His wife and four children, aged nine to three, remain in London. They are due back on Friday. Kane has not seen them since winning the award. He expects his two sons to try to play with the heavy trophy. He said he will have to explain that it is a little bit more precious.

Kane described the support from friends, family, and fans as overwhelming. He felt at home again upon returning to the club. He noted that Sunday's match against Freiburg felt like it happened six weeks ago. The team won that game before his award ceremony. He is expected to prepare normally for the upcoming match against Dortmund.