Kane regrets never playing in Spain alongside the Messi-Ronaldo era

Harry Kane has had the chance to play against Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo — in international football as well as at club level. But he has never played in the same tournament that Messi and Ronaldo graced, and the England captain admits that remains a regret.

Some 15 to 20 years ago, fans eagerly awaited La Liga's El Clásico. Messi played for Barcelona and Ronaldo's team was Real Madrid. Beyond the Clásico itself, the personal duel between the two star footballers was just as gripping, as Ronaldo and Messi stayed busy breaking each other's records.

Recalling that old La Liga tradition, Kane said: "From childhood, Spain's national team fascinated me. Alongside their Euro and World Cup wins, the football of Barcelona and Real Madrid, with stars like Messi and Ronaldo, attracted me too. Spanish football has always been of the highest quality."

With the passage of time, Ronaldo now plays for Al Nassr and Messi's team is Inter Miami. The regret of never having played in the Spanish league alongside Messi and Ronaldo still works on Kane.

The England captain said: "To be honest, I never had the opportunity to play in Spain. If I had got the chance in the past, I would certainly have loved it. But everyone's career moves along a different path. My journey at Bayern Munich has been quite successful. I am very happy here."

The forward is also advancing talks to extend his contract with Bayern Munich beyond 2027.

Kane also recalled the contribution of former coach José Mourinho to his career development, bringing up a past conversation with Mourinho, who is currently in charge of Real Madrid.

According to the England captain, at one stage of his career he realised he had the ability to reach even greater heights. Watching Bayern's title-winning matches, he saw the possibility of improving himself further by joining the club. He said that conversation with Mourinho also helped bring a change to his game.