Harry Kane: The Target of a Viral Meme Amidst a Stellar Season

The recent viral post served as a sharp yet clever troll directed at Bayern Munich’s star striker, Harry Kane. It featured a fabricated text message exchange, with one message asking, “What time are you coming?” This implied that Kane had ‘not shown up’ for the match.

The meme cleverly referenced popular culture, succinctly summarizing Kane’s disappointing evening at the Allianz Arena, where he failed to score despite taking five shots. The reaction across social media was a mix of laughter and sympathy for the England captain.

This meme struck a chord as it marked a rare misstep in an otherwise stellar season for Kane. The striker has been in phenomenal form, dispelling any initial skepticism following his transfer from Tottenham. He has already scored an impressive 21 goals in just 18 Bundesliga matches, bringing his total to 34 across all competitions. His remarkable performances have made him the fastest player in Bundesliga history to achieve 100 goal contributions (goals and assists combined) in record time. Currently, he leads the race for the European Golden Shoe, ahead of marquee competitors like Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe.

The meme gained traction due to the longstanding narrative surrounding Kane’s so-called “trophy curse.” After leaving Tottenham in search of silverware, his first season at Bayern Munich (2023/24) ended without a major trophy. The team faced an embarrassing exit from the German Cup against third-tier FC Saarbrücken and narrowly missed out on the league title for the first time in years. Rival fans, especially those from Arsenal, eagerly seized on his setbacks, and the “not showing up” meme became perfect ammunition—a witty jab suggesting Kane’s tendency to be absent when his team needed him most.

Recently, Kane shared a light-hearted moment on television with former Tottenham teammate Toby Alderweireld, who joked about Kane’s reputation as a “one-season wonder.” The two had played together for six years in North London from 2015 to 2021. Kane greeted Alderweireld warmly, expressing hope to see him soon. Alderweireld reminisced about their time together, noting how Kane was labeled a “one-season wonder” during the 2014-15 season, only to consistently score over 30 goals each subsequent year. He praised Kane as a fantastic person and a true winner, recalling how Kane would always practice taking penalties after training, humorously adding, “From now on, that’ll be 16, right? Because he missed one!”

Meanwhile, Vincent Kompany’s side must swiftly refocus as they prepare for their next Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday, aiming for a top-eight placement. Following that, they will return to league action with an away match against Hamburger on Saturday, seeking to maintain their commanding lead at the top of the table.