New Record in Top 5 Leagues
“For me, it’s a hat-trick,” said Harry Kane, the star striker of Bayern Munich, following his three-goal performance against Hoffenheim last Saturday. “But I know that it’s viewed differently here in Germany.” In the Bundesliga, a true hat-trick consists of three goals scored consecutively within one half of the match. Otherwise, it’s referred to as a Dreierpack, which is precisely what Kane accomplished, netting goals in the 44th, 48th, and 77th minutes of Bayern’s 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim. This marked Kane’s ninth hat-trick since joining Bayern Munich two years ago. As of the Werder Bremen match on Friday, he has averaged a hat-trick every 7.6 games in the Bundesliga.
Although Kane didn’t achieve a hat-trick in the 4-0 win against Bremen, he set another record, becoming the fastest player in the modern era to reach 100 goals in a top-five league with his new club. “It’s astonishing what Kane has accomplished for Bayern Munich over the last two years,” commented Bayern’s sporting director, Max Eberl, regarding Kane’s remarkable scoring feats. “He’s a dominant presence on the field, always eager for the ball and supportive of his teammates. Kane is a true fighter and leader.” Where does Kane’s ninth hat-trick stand in Bundesliga history? Former Bayern Munich CEO and club legend, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, reached this milestone in 310 games, while the only other player to do so was Dieter Müller, who achieved it in 303 games.
Other Bundesliga greats like Horst Hrubesch (seven hat-tricks), Ulf Kirsten (seven), Uwe Seeler (six), and Rudi Völler (five) haven’t matched Kane’s number of hat-tricks. Only six players have recorded more hat-tricks than Kane in Bundesliga history, as highlighted in the graphic above. Kane averages more hat-tricks than the record holder Gerd Müller (32 hat-tricks at one every 13 games) or his predecessor Robert Lewandowski (16 at one every 24 games).
Harry Kane: An International Comparison of Hat-tricks
When compared to other leagues in the top five, Kane’s hat-trick frequency is impressive. Since the inception of the leagues in Germany, England (Premier League from 1991), Italy, Spain, and France, only two players with 20 or more appearances boast a better hat-trick-to-game ratio than Kane. From 1933 to 1948, Isidro Lángara tallied 105 goals in 90 LaLiga games, achieving 13 hat-tricks or one every 6.9 games. After joining Monaco last January, Mika Biereth notched three hat-tricks in 21 matches, averaging one every seven games. Other notable players include Cristiano Ronaldo (34 hat-tricks in LaLiga for Real Madrid at one every 8.6 games), Romário (five for Barcelona at one every 11.4 games), Erling Haaland (eight for Man City at one every 12.8 games), and Lionel Messi (36 for Barça at one every 14.4 games). Aside from Romário (who played 57 LaLiga games), all these players had significantly more league appearances than Kane.
The previous Bundesliga top scorer has already netted ten goals in the first five games of this season. If he stays healthy, one question arises: can he surpass Robert Lewandowski’s single-season record of 41 goals achieved in the 2020/21 season, which previously broke Gerd Müller’s record of 40? Interestingly, Lewandowski had one goal more than Kane after the opening five matches. Could Kane break this record? What is his ceiling? Is it feasible for a Bundesliga player to reach close to 50, possibly even 60 goals in a single season?
“I don’t generally set limits for myself; I just keep pushing forward,” Kane told Sky when queried about this topic. “There are moments when things don’t go as well for a striker, but right now I have the momentum, and I’m enjoying it. I feel confident. I know I’ll get my opportunities in this team. Huge credit to the boys. I’m working hard for the team, and I believe the goals will come.” The hat-tricks have certainly contributed, earning him a new nickname in Germany, where commentators affectionately refer to him as ‘Hat-trick Harry’. “That was what they used to call me in school when I was younger,” Kane said regarding the moniker.
Harry Kane: 100 Goals in 103 Matches – Another Milestone Achieved
The hat-trick record isn’t the only achievement Kane has set. He is also the first player in Bundesliga history to convert all 17 of his penalty kicks and is the fastest player to reach 70 goals in just 67 appearances. Another milestone was reached this Friday against Werder Bremen, where Kane was just two goals shy of hitting the 100-goal mark across all competitions for Bayern. Having scored 98 goals in 103 matches for Bayern heading into the weekend, Kane has now broken the previous record for the fastest 100 goals by a player for a single club in Europe’s top five leagues since the establishment of the Premier League in 1991, previously held by Manchester City’s Haaland and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom accomplished it in 105 games.
How does Kane compare historically in the pre-top five league era? As indicated in the graphic above, only eight players achieved this milestone faster than Haaland and Ronaldo. Although records from the pre-modern era may have inconsistencies, the Transfermarkt database points to legends who likely achieved this even quicker than Kane. As mentioned earlier, Lángara got to 100 goals in just 77 games. Other notable players include Just Fontaine (93 games for Stade Reims), Oskar Rohr (94 games for Strasbourg), Mariano Martín (99 games for FC Barcelona), Ferenc Puskás (Real Madrid) and Gunnar Andersson (Olympique Marseille), both in 100 games, while Manuel Badenes accomplished the feat in 101 games for Valencia, and László Kubala reached it in 103 games for Barcelona. Kane not only matched but surpassed that record, scoring twice against Werder Bremen on Friday to set a new benchmark.
