Unstoppable Scorer
“To me, it’s a hat-trick,” said Bayern Munich’s star striker Harry Kane after netting three goals against Hoffenheim last Saturday. “But I know it’s a bit different here in Germany.” In Germany, a true hat-trick is defined as three consecutive goals scored within a single half; otherwise, it’s referred to as a Dreierpack. Kane achieved this by scoring in the 44th, 48th, and 77th minutes during Bayern Munich’s impressive 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim. This marks Kane’s ninth hat-trick since joining Bayern Munich two years ago, averaging a hat-trick every 7.4 games in the Bundesliga, which is 13.4% of his appearances.
“What Kane has accomplished for Bayern Munich over the past two years is incredible,” stated Bayern’s sporting director, Max Eberl, when asked about Kane’s scoring prowess. “He is a leader on the field, always seeking the ball while supporting his teammates. Kane is a true fighter.” How does his ninth hat-trick compare in Bundesliga history? Former Bayern CEO and club legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge reached this milestone in 310 games, while only Dieter Müller achieved it quicker, in 303 games.
Other Bundesliga greats, such as Horst Hrubesch and Ulf Kirsten (both with seven hat-tricks), Uwe Seeler (six), and Rudi Völler (five), fall short of Kane’s tally. In fact, only six players have more hat-tricks than Kane. As shown in the graphic above, Kane averages more hat-tricks per game than record-holder Gerd Müller (32 total, one every 13 games) and his predecessor Robert Lewandowski (16 total, one every 24 games).
Harry Kane – A Global Hat-trick Comparison
When looking across the top five leagues, Kane’s frequency of hat-tricks stands out significantly. Since these leagues were established—Germany, England (Premier League since 1991), Italy, Spain, and France—only two players with 20 or more games have a better hat-trick rate than Kane. The graphic below highlights players like Isidro Lángara, who scored 105 goals in 90 LaLiga games with 13 hat-tricks (one every 6.9 games), and Mika Biereth, who achieved three hat-tricks in 21 games in Ligue 1 (one every seven games). Cristiano Ronaldo managed a hat-trick every 8.6 games in LaLiga, while Romário had one every 11.4 games, Erling Haaland every 12.8 games at Man City, and Lionel Messi every 14.4 games with Barcelona. Remarkably, except for Romário, all other mentioned players had significantly more league appearances than Kane.
Last season’s Bundesliga top scorer has already found the net eight times in just the first four matches of this season. If he maintains his fitness, the question remains: Can he surpass Robert Lewandowski’s single-season record of 41 goals set in 2020/21, which broke Gerd Müller’s previous record of 40 goals? Interestingly, Lewandowski had one goal fewer than Kane after four games back then. Could Kane achieve this feat? Is it possible for a Bundesliga player to reach as much as 50 or even 60 goals in a single season?
“I never set limits for myself; I just focus on progressing,” Kane remarked to Sky when asked about this possibility. “There are times when a striker’s performance dips, but right now I have the momentum and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I know I’ll have my opportunities with this team. I’m working hard out there, and the goals will come.” His numerous hat-tricks have earned him a new nickname in Germany: ‘Hat-trick Harry’. “They called me Hat-trick Harry back in school,” Kane mentioned when reflecting on the moniker.
Approaching 100 Goals for Bayern: Another Record in Sight?
Kane isn’t just setting hat-trick records. He is the first player in Bundesliga history to score on all 17 of his penalty attempts and the fastest player to reach 70 goals in the league, doing so in just 67 matches. Another record may soon be within reach. Kane is only two goals away from reaching the remarkable milestone of 100 goals across all competitions for Bayern Munich. As of now, he has netted 98 goals in 103 games, and the record for the fastest 100 goals scored by a player for a single club in Europe’s top five leagues is held by Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom achieved this in 105 matches.
Where would Kane rank in the pre-top 5 league era? As indicated in the graphic above, only eight players have reached 100 goals faster than Haaland and Ronaldo. Among them was Lángara, who accomplished it in 77 games, and Just Fontaine, who managed it in 93 games for Stade Reims. Oskar Rohr reached the mark in 94 games for Strasbourg, Mariano Martín in 99 games for Barcelona, and Ferenc Puskás as well as Gunnar Andersson both did it in 100 games. Manuel Badenes achieved it in 101 games for Valencia, while László Kubala reached the feat in 103 games for Barcelona—records that Kane could potentially equal next. With Bayern Munich set to face Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena, recent results certainly suggest Kane is on course to achieve this remarkable record.
