With Kane’s curse broken, Bayern eye Club World Cup treasures

BERLIN: Fresh from lifting a first team title of his career, Harry Kane and Bayern Munich head to the Club World Cup in the United States eyeing more than just another shot at silverware.

Long on the receiving end of jibes about not winning a team trophy in his 15-year career despite a glittering array of individual honours, the 31-year-old striker finally broke through when Bayern won the Bundesliga this season.

Besides adding another title to Bayern´s bulging trophy cabinet, a Club World Cup win would be incredibly lucrative for the German giants. In a bid to boost club buy-in for the expanded tournament, FIFA has put together a whopping $1 billion prize money pool, with the winner expected to pocket $125 million.

As with most of the big European sides competing in the tournament, Bayern have been handed a relatively simple task in the group stages. Bayern face Auckland City in Cincinnati on Sunday, before rounding out the group stage with matches against Boca Juniors in Miami and Benfica in Charlotte.

Member-run Bayern may dwarf all but a handful of European rivals financially, but the Club World Cup money could make an important difference at an uncertain time. Despite winning back the Bundesliga title this season after Bayer Leverkusen broke an 11-year Bavarian streak last term, Bayern are facing a rebuild this summer.

Normally the one and only destination for top German talent, in-demand midfielder Florian Wirtz spurned their advances and looks set for a move to Premier League side Liverpool. With veteran Thomas Mueller leaving after the Club World Cup and wingers Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman also reportedly headed for the exit, Bayern will need to bring in more attacking talent this transfer window.

In defence, Eric Dier has left while Kim Min-jae, Dayot Upamecano and Hiroki Ito have all nursed long-term injury complaints of late. The free-agent signings of Germany duo Jonathan Tah, a centre-back, and midfielder Tom Bischof have however helped tackle two problem areas for the German giants -- and at a fraction of the cost.

Both players were released early by former clubs Leverkusen and Hoffenheim respectively, with Bayern paying nominal fees to allow them to make the trip to the US. After recently scoring two goals in two games for England against Andorra and Senegal, Kane heads to the US optimistic of a further taste of silverware.

“We´re certainly one of the favourites. I think this season has shown what kind of a team we are,” Kane told Germany´s TZ newspaper on Wednesday. “On a good day, we can beat any opponent in the world.”

Kane said the players were “taking the tournament seriously and preparing well”, despite the long season behind them. “It´s a new format with the best teams in the world competing. I´m happy to be part of it because it´s an exciting opportunity.”

While Kane may now have just a solitary team title, his strike partner Mueller is bidding to become the most decorated German footballer ever. Mueller is equal on 34 team trophies with retired Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, but can inch past his former team-mate by lifting what would be his third Club World Cup.

The veteran´s two previous victories, in 2014 and 2021, came in the previous scaled back version of the competition. Mueller, 35, made clear he wanted to stay at Bayern after 25 years with the club. In April, he said the decision to part ways was made by the club and the club alone, but has not allowed the issue to spoil his farewell.

In a social media video as Bayern took off for the United States, Mueller said: “Of course we want to win this thing. “Ready to rumble. Full throttle for the title. Let´s go, FC Bayern.”