Harry Kane 'didn't party too hard' after Ballon d'Or win despite pre-agreed rest for Bayern Munich DFB-Pokal match
Published 29/10/2026 at 12:41 GMT
Harry Kane said that he "didn't party too hard" after winning the Ballon d'Or, but said a rest was needed after the "big emotional load" of being honoured with the prestigious award in London on Monday night.
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Video credit: SNTV
The 33-year-old was an unused substitute as Bayern Munich beat Magdeburg 6-1 in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday night, with Michael Olise scoring twice.
Kane said that the rest was pre-agreed, although he would have been ready to play if needed.
"I didn't party too hard!" he 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.
"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.
"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.
"Big game on Saturday now as well [against Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga], so I'll train tomorrow and be ready for that."
Winning the Ballon d'Or was a momentous achievement for Kane, who finished ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to become the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001.
"Crazy week. What an unbelievable night on Monday," he added. "Obviously a lot of nerves and different emotions compared to a football match or anything like that. A lot of waiting around and trying to picture what it would be like if I did win.
"But, honestly, just really special, the support I've had from friends, family, fans, text messages, social media has just been overwhelming - so many congratulations.
"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."
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Kane earned the praise of Bayern assistant Danks, who has taken charge of the team during Vincent Kompany's absence with illness.
"Working closely with him and seeing the effort he puts in, knowing the journey that he's been on to get to this moment, just really, really happy for him," Danks said.
"As an Englishman, I'm really proud for him. I'm a big advocate of English players and English coaches, and I want them to showcase what they're capable of, so for Harry to bring this back for England, I think it's great recognition for him.
"I know Harry's full focus will now be on his next goal, his next performances, his next games. He'll be straight back into that professional, humble mindset that's got him to this level."
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