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Harry Kane scores 500th career goal as Bayern Munich maintain lead at top of Bundesliga

Kane becomes the first Englishman to officially reach the milestone, just over 15 years on from his first professional goal in January 2011

Kane now has 126 goals in 131 games for Bayern Munich
Kane now has 126 goals in 131 games for Bayern Munich (REUTERS)

England captain Harry Kane has reached 500 career goals after scoring twice for Bayern Munich in a 3-0 win over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.

Kane scored his ninth penalty of the season in the 22nd minute before doubling Bayern’s lead with a shot from the edge of the box to take his tally for the season to 41 goals. His record for the German giants now stands at 126 goals in 131 games.

And that second strike was the 500th of Kane’s career, meaning the former Tottenham striker reaches the milestone in 743 games for both club and country, and just over 15 years on from his first professional goal – for Leyton Orient against Sheffield Wednesday as a 17-year-old in January 2011.

Kane's first goal was a penalty to move him to 499 goals for club and country
Kane's first goal was a penalty to move him to 499 goals for club and country (AP)

According to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), Kane is the 27th man to score 500 goals in official games at the highest level of football, reports The Athletic.

This puts him alongside legends such as Cristiano Ronald (961), Lionel Messi (896), Pele (762) and Romario (756), with Kane perhaps expecting to surpass the likes of Uwe Seeler (552 ) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (561).

Over half of Kane’s goals so far have come for Tottenham Hotspur – with the 32-year-old having netted 280 times for Spurs – while a further 78 have come in an England shirt, with the current captain having moved to the top of his nation’s all-time top scorer list.

During his career, Kane has finished as the top scorer in the World Cup, the Premier League (three times), the Bundesliga (twice so far), the Champions League (joint-top in 2023/24) and the 2024 European Championship (joint-top), while he is also England’s top scorer in major tournaments, with 15 goals.

Kane's second goal saw him become the first English player to reach 500 goals in top-level games
Kane's second goal saw him become the first English player to reach 500 goals in top-level games (Getty Images)

Kane’s highest-scoring seasons saw him net 52 goals in both 2017/18 and 2023/24, though with the England striker having netted 46 already this season – and with a World Cup and the rest of the season to come – he is set to surpass that tally soon.

His latest brace against Werder Bremen helped Bayern to maintain their six-point lead over rivals Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga, and the Bavarians can move nine points clear next week as they face Eintracht Frankfurt before Dortmund take on RB Leipzig later in the day.

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