Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have company in sight as Harry Kane chases exclusive Golden Boot record

Harry Kane is setting his sights on an exclusive milestone that could put him in the same conversation as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Bayern striker determined to add another major individual honor to his collection. Kane has made his ambition clear for the new season, although his comments suggest the personal prize is closely tied to his desire to keep helping Bayern succeed.

The Englishman’s pursuit comes after another remarkable campaign in Germany. The England captain finished the 2025-26 Bundesliga season with 36 goals, earning 72 points in the European Golden Shoe standings and finishing ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

That performance also helped Bayern claim three trophies: the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Supercup. Kane‘s scoring form was central to that success, while his overall output across club and country reached an extraordinary 73 goals during the campaign.

The striker has already established himself among Europe’s elite scorers since joining Bayern from Tottenham in 2023. His consistency has now opened the door to a statistical milestone that has previously belonged to only two of soccer’s most decorated superstars.

The record Kane wants to match

Kane’s target is now clear: winning the European Golden Shoe for a third time this season. Doing so would make him only the third player in the history of the award to reach three victories, joining Messi and Ronaldo in an exclusive club. Messi has won the award six times, while Ronaldo has claimed it on four occasions, making them the only players to reach at least three victories.

His previous two wins came with Bayern. Kane scored 36 Bundesliga goals in 2023-24 and then matched that total in 2025-26, making him the leading scorer across Europe’s top domestic leagues on both occasions.

The 2025-26 campaign was particularly impressive because Kane finished ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Shoe race. Haaland scored 27 Premier League goals, while Mbappe finished with 25 La Liga goals, leaving Kane at the top after his prolific Bundesliga season.

What did Kane say about the possibile record?

Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, the 33-year-old acknowledged the significance of the players he is attempting to join. “Messi and Ronaldo dominated football for an entire generation. They are two of the best in history,” he said. “To be part of that conversation is already something special. It is an objective.”

The Bayern forward also explained that individual awards are not his sole motivation, even though they remain an important source of ambition. “As a striker, I am expected to score goals. The Golden Boot is not my only objective, but, of course, I know that, if I win it, I will also be helping the team,” Kane told Marca.

He then made it clear that winning once only makes him want the trophy again. “Every time I win one, I want another, and then another, and this time will be no different,” he said, before adding: “I hope to be there again this season, scoring as many goals as I can in the Bundesliga, and we will see if I can get another one.”