Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has revealed he would gladly exchange his Ballon d'Or award for a Champions League title, insisting that winning trophies with his teammates remains his greatest ambition.
The England captain, who was crowned the world's best player last week ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, made the admission on Monday as Bayern prepared for their Champions League encounter with Atletico Madrid.
Despite celebrating one of the biggest individual achievements of his career, Kane believes collective success carries greater significance.
"Team trophies are why we play football. The team aspect of our sport is really, really important," Kane told reporters in Madrid.
The 33-year-old described winning the Ballon d'Or as an unforgettable moment but admitted that lifting Europe's most prestigious club trophy would mean even more.
"The Ballon d'Or last week was one of the best feelings I've had in my life and my career," Kane said.
However, the striker emphasised that sharing major victories with teammates and celebrating Champions League success with Bayern would be an extraordinary experience.
"I would choose the Champions League, but I have the opportunity to do both. Let's see what happens."
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone praised Kane ahead of Tuesday's Champions League meeting, describing the England international as an "incredible player" and someone who is "very good for football".
Kane welcomed the recognition from the Argentine coach, whom he considers among the finest managers of his generation.
"I'd like to thank Diego Simeone, who is one of the best coaches of this era," Kane said.
The Bayern striker reflected on the challenges he has overcome throughout his career, acknowledging that some critics doubted his ability to reach the highest level.
However, Kane expects Simeone to put sentiment aside when the two teams meet, with Atletico determined to prevent Bayern from securing a positive result.
Bayern have endured an inconsistent start to their Champions League campaign, winning just one of their opening three league-phase matches and drawing against Arsenal and Viking.
Tuesday's encounter carries additional significance for Kane, who returns to the Metropolitano Stadium, where Tottenham suffered a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final.
The stadium is also scheduled to host this season's final, offering Kane the possibility of replacing one of his most painful football memories with a career-defining triumph.
"You have good memories in stadiums, sometimes you don't. Hopefully we can have a good memory tomorrow," Kane said.
The England captain is also scheduled to return to the venue next week for an international fixture against Spain.
Kane hopes his third visit will come at the end of the season, with Bayern competing for the Champions League trophy.
He believes football provides opportunities to overcome previous disappointments, and returning to the stadium for another European final would offer the perfect chance to move beyond Tottenham's defeat in 2019.
Away from Bayern's Champions League preparations, Kane confirmed that negotiations over a new contract are nearing completion.
The striker's current agreement expires in June 2027, but discussions over an extension have progressed significantly.
"I'd say it's more days than weeks. We're extremely close now," Kane revealed.
A new agreement would reinforce Kane's commitment to Bayern Munich as he continues pursuing major domestic and European honours.
Bayern assistant coach Aaron Danks confirmed that Michael Olise and Manuel Neuer are available for the Atletico Madrid clash following injury concerns.
Danks will oversee the team in the absence of head coach Vincent Kompany, who is recovering from a health issue.
Kompany was discharged from hospital last week after spending five days receiving treatment following a collapse during training. The Belgian was subsequently diagnosed with meningeal irritation.
Danks stressed that maintaining Bayern's established playing identity and tactical approach remains his primary responsibility while Kompany is unavailable.
"The most important part of my role in Vinny's absence is to protect everything that we've built over the last two and a half years," Danks explained.
He added that the coaching staff would preserve the team's existing processes and philosophy, with minimal changes expected ahead of the crucial European fixture.
For Kane, the immediate priority is helping Bayern secure a positive result against Atletico Madrid while keeping alive his ambition of adding the Champions League trophy to his growing collection of individual and team honours.
