England has had to wait a long time for another winner of the Ballon d'Or, with Harry Kane on Monday night becoming the first player from the country to win it for 25 years. But his success has also been celebrated in Germany with the Bayern Munich striker ending their even longer run without a player from the Bundesliga lifting the coveted trophy. The last to do so was Matthias Sammer back in 1996 after he had captained Borussia Dortmund to two successive Bundesliga titles.
"Just as Bayern and the Bundesliga benefit from Kane, the reverse is also true," Lothar Matthaus, the most capped German player of all time and 1991 Ballon d'Or winner, said. "I don't think Kane would've won the Ballon d'Or at any other club he could've joined. He's developed further at Bayern and matured even more.
"He's become a better player there, as he himself said in his speech. At Bayern, he won his very first title, with more to follow - and now he's fulfilled a lifelong dream." Ranking England's Ballon d'Or winners - how does Kane compare? Kane ends England's 25-year Ballon d'Or wait - how he bucked the trend Quiz: Kane and who else?
Name every men's Ballon d'Or winner For Kane, the trophy win will have felt special for many reasons on a personal level, having gone through ups and downs in his career to make it to the very top. But both the Bundesliga and Bayern know how significant it will also be for the league and the club respectively. After Kane was announced as the Ballon d'Or winner, large images from the Bundesliga were projected on to landmarks across London such as The Strand and Tate Modern, some featuring the words "England Hero.
For the league, Kane's win will show players that they can come to the Bundesliga and become recognised as the best player in the world, while for Bayern it will show they are capable of attracting the very best talent. Bundesliga chief executive Marc Lenz said: "Winning the Ballon d'Or is a tremendous recognition of Harry Kane's extraordinary performances - and also a great success for Bayern and the Bundesliga. "Harry is not only one of the outstanding players of his generation; he combines sporting excellence with tremendous professionalism, commitment and respect for the game.
He gives everything for his team and inspires fans around the world. "He is a fantastic role model for young players and an outstanding ambassador for the Bundesliga. "This achievement also underlines that the Bundesliga is a stage where the very best players in the world perform at the highest level." Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen added: "For a player from a German club to win the Ballon d'Or for the first time in 30 years is a strong signal for the Bundesliga," he said.
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