Bayern win 34th Bundesliga title; Kane ends career-long trophy drought

Harry Kane will hoist the first trophy of his career after Bayer Leverkusen's 2-2 draw at Freiburg on Sunday officially handed the Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich.

Bayern are eight points clear of last season's champions with two matches left to play.

The Bavarians almost clinched the title Saturday while Kane watched from the stands. The Englishman was suspended for the trip to RB Leipzig for yellow-card accumulation, but RB Leipzig legend Yussuf Poulsen's last-gasp equalizer in a wild 3-3 draw delayed the celebrations.

Bayern's coronation can now take place in front of their home supporters when Borussia Monchengladbach visit the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Kane's failure to collect silverware threatened to overshadow his relentless goal-scoring exploits for club and country. It was a stick to beat him with, and his hecklers reached for it repeatedly when Bayern surrendered the Bundesliga crown to Leverkusen in his first season at the club in 2023-24, ending an unprecedented 11-year reign. Bayern also fell short in the DFB-Pokal, DFL-Supercup, and Champions League while Kane racked up 44 goals across all competitions and won the European Golden Shoe.

Bayern Munich's pursuit of Champions League glory this season ended with a quarterfinal defeat to Inter Milan. They lost to Leverkusen in the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal.

The 31-year-old striker's prior spell with Tottenham Hotspur included one runners-up finish and two third-place finishes in the Premier League and losses in two League Cup finals and one Champions League final. With England, he's a defeated finalist in the past two European Championships, he suffered heartbreak in a World Cup semifinal against Croatia in 2018, and he nervously skied a penalty in a narrow 2022 World Cup quarterfinal loss to France.

But shifting his trophy hunt to Germany paid off in his second season. Kane effectively fired the Bavarians to their 34th German crown with 24 goals and seven assists over his 29 appearances so far. The €100-million frontman's attacking contributions have been complemented by the league's meanest defense, standout individual campaigns from the likes of Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise, and the experience of outgoing icon Thomas Muller and the many other serial Bundesliga winners in the Bayern Munich squad.

"There are many people who, throughout my career, only talk about the fact I haven't won a title yet. It would be nice to silence a few of them," Kane said in late April.

Former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany also won the first major trophy of his managerial career following Saturday's result in Saxony. Despite the many successes of his playing days, his appointment last summer was met with widespread surprise after he was criticized for an ambitious playing style that appeared to hasten Burnley's relegation from the Premier League.