Harry Kane has made soccer history by winning the Ballon d’Or. The 33-year-old was named the world’s best soccer player for the first time on Monday evening in London, capping off an outstanding season. The award is also a special achievement for FC Bayern. Financially, the Munich club may even benefit from a surprising contract clause.
Although Kane transferred from Tottenham Hotspur to the German record champions in the summer of 2023 for around 100 million euros, Bayern does not have to pay Spurs any additional transfer fee following his Ballon d’Or triumph.
As Sky reports, no such bonus clause was agreed upon at the time of the transfer. This is quite remarkable, given that performance-based bonus payments have long been standard practice in major transfers.
Tottenham opted out of a Ballon d’Or clause
In high-profile transfers, selling clubs often secure additional revenue when a player achieves certain sporting successes. These can include league championships, Champions League titles, or individual awards such as the Ballon d’Or.
In Harry Kane’s case, Tottenham apparently waived such a provision for winning the Ballon d’Or. According to Sky, there is no such agreement in the transfer contract between Bayern and Tottenham.
This means that although Kane laid the groundwork for his historic triumph with 73 goals last season, no additional payment is due to his former employer.
This is particularly surprising because the English national team player had already spoken publicly during his time at Tottenham about wanting to win the Ballon d’Or one day.
It is not known, however, whether the Spurs actually considered such an achievement unrealistic during the negotiations at the time.
Other bonus payments for Kane are still due, however.
[umfrage id=“4d5519f5-bc4c-4565-a504-61e293d225ae“]
However, this does not mean that the financial obligations arising from the Kane transfer have been fully settled.
According to Sky, additional performance-based bonus payments were indeed agreed upon. These are linked, among other things, to national titles and a potential Champions League victory.
Other high-profile transfers demonstrate that clubs can also benefit financially from individual awards.
For example, RB Leipzig apparently secured a corresponding clause when Yan Diomande transferred to Real Madrid. Should the winger one day win the Ballon d’Or during his time with Los Blancos, an additional payment in the single-digit millions would be due.
FC Bayern is also familiar with such contract models from the past. In the 2016 transfer of Renato Sanches, Benfica Lisbon is said to have agreed to a bonus payment in the event of a future Ballon d’Or win. However, this payment was never due.
For the Munich club, Kane’s Ballon d’Or triumph is therefore welcome news not only from a sporting perspective but also financially.