HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY! Kane at 33 with his club and England future undecided and his Ballon d'Or hopes hanging by a thread

This was supposed to be the icing on the cake. Harry Kane would lift the World Cup trophy and lap up the glory over the next nine days before celebrating his 33rd birthday, feeling on top of the world.

But instead, Kane will be surrounded by his loved ones as he blows out the candles, no-doubt privately ruing what could've been. The striker enjoyed his best ever season in terms of goals in 2025-26, scoring an obscene 61 times in just 51 games for Bayern Munich.

Kane fired the German giants to a dominant league and cup double, and was agonisingly close to reaching his second Champions League final, as Bayern came out on the wrong side of an 11-goal semi-final thriller with eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. Recharged and ready to go for the World Cup, Kane started with a bang by scoring two goals against Croatia.

Another double against DR Congo saved England from a humiliating round-of-32 exit before his familiar struggles in the latter stages began. The former Tottenham star didn't score from open play in the remaining games, as Argentina ultimately dealt the fatal blow for Thomas Tuchel's side.

The debate over Kane's performances in the biggest games will therefore linger for at least another season. As will the questions over the 33-year-old's future with both Bayern and England.

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When Harry Kane finally decided to leave Tottenham in August 2023, he swapped a good chance to become the Premier League's all-time leading goalscorer for near-enough guaranteed team honours. Barring a disastrous first season - albeit not for him personally - in which Bayern went trophyless, his move to Bavaria has proved a success.

However, his four-year contract expires next summer. Kane won't be going anywhere for now, having decided against activating a clause in his contract which would've allowed interested clubs like Barcelona to sign him for £64million, but talks over a new deal are yet to yield an agreement.

You may remember that Kane was frequently criticised for committing his long-term future to Tottenham in 2018 and making it difficult for clubs to prise him away. So, will he take a different approach this time around and leave his options open?

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Speaking last October, Kane revealed that his stance on returning to the Premier League has changed since his switch to Bayern. "In terms of the Premier League, I don't know," he admitted while on international duty at St George's Park.

"If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back. Now that I have been there a couple of years, I would probably say that (desire to return) has gone down a little bit. But I wouldn’t say I would never go back."

It's worth noting that Tottenham will have first refusal on Kane if he decides to leave Munich. Spurs' recent spending is aimed at making them a stable Champions League club again, potentially giving him the ideal platform for an emotional homecoming.

Before any major trophies can be won next season, football's biggest individual accolade is up for grabs. The Ballon d'Or will be handed out in London on Monday, October 26 and Kane remains the bookies' favourite.

Obviously Emmanuel Petit doesn't have a say on that. The ex-Arsenal midfielder last week accused Kane of 'disappearing' in the latter stages of the Champions League and World Cup.

"Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or chances are over," Petit told Mr Gamble. "If you base that only on the German league, okay, no problem at all. But in the Champions League and with the national team, when it started to be really hard to win, I think he disappeared.

"I can't point the finger at him because he tried everything he could, and he scored many goals, but he didn't have an impact in the big games, just like in the Champions League. So, I think there are a few names ahead of him."

One of those is Bayern team-mate Michael Olise, although France's failure to win the World Cup has significantly dented his chances. A winner from the Spain squad who lifted the trophy is a strong possibility, with Lamine Yamal and Rodri among those in contention.

In the aftermath of England's 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina, Kane was understandably desolate. Not only did it seem to be Kane's best chance of winning the World Cup after two previous attempts, it may prove to be his last.

He'll be 36 at the next World Cup and can't guarantee that he'll be leading the line for England in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. "It's too early to talk about that," a sombre Kane said in Atlanta a fortnight ago.

"I'm taking it year by year and the national team is my pride and joy. It's what I love to do most more than anything. Obviously four years is a long way away, I'm 33 this summer but it never ended with Leo (Messi) there, he's still performing at the highest level.

"I never want to put a limit on these things. I'll address situations as they come, but for now it's just about processing a tough loss."

That process will go on for a while, potentially until Euro 2028 which England will co-host. Knowing Kane, he'll be hell bent on giving himself the best chance of walking up the Wembley steps as a winner at long last.