Harry Kane made history on Monday night by becoming England's first Ballon d'Or winner in 25 years — and in doing so, he also ended a 29-year drought for the Bundesliga, the last player from Germany's top flight to claim the prize being Matthias Sammer in 1996.

The Bayern Munich striker's achievement has been embraced not just in England but across Germany, where football figures have wasted no time in underlining its significance for the league and the club alike.

What Kane's win means for Bayern and the Bundesliga

Lothar Matthaus, Germany's most capped player and the 1991 Ballon d'Or winner, was among the first to offer his perspective. "Just as Bayern and the Bundesliga benefit from Kane, the reverse is also true," Matthaus said. "I don't think Kane would've won the Ballon d'Or at any other club he could've joined. He's developed further at Bayern and matured even more. He's become a better player there — and now he's fulfilled a lifelong dream."

The Bundesliga itself moved quickly to capitalise on the moment. After Kane was announced as the winner, large images were projected on to London landmarks — including The Strand and Tate Modern — bearing the words "England Hero. Bundesliga Legend."

Bundesliga chief executive Marc Lenz said: "Winning the Ballon d'Or is a tremendous recognition of Harry Kane's extraordinary performances — and also a great success for Bayern and the Bundesliga. He is a fantastic role model for young players and an outstanding ambassador for the Bundesliga. This achievement underlines that the Bundesliga is a stage where the very best players in the world perform at the highest level."

Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen added: "For a player from a German club to win the Ballon d'Or for the first time in 30 years is a strong signal for the Bundesliga. Harry is one of the great personalities of world football and a role model to all, far beyond the game."

German journalist Raphael Honigstein, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, described Kane's impact at Bayern as transformative. "He's made a huge difference. There's the goals, but beyond that there is the focus on Bayern that has come from him. After four-and-a-half decades, Bayern have a player with international recognition the way Kane has it. It is massive."

Bild editor-in-chief for sport Henning Feindt summed up the mood in the German media: "He is the biggest star the league could wish for. For 45 years, not a Bayern Munich player has won it [since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge]. The message Kane is sending to all the world's superstars: It's possible in the Bundesliga too."

How Bayern plan to celebrate

Kane spent his post-ceremony night celebrating with family and friends in London, but Bayern are preparing a formal welcome on his return to Munich. The club confirmed he will receive "a special welcome" before Wednesday's DFB Cup tie against Magdeburg at the Allianz Arena, with further recognition planned for Saturday's Bundesliga top-of-the-table clash against Borussia Dortmund.

Club president Herbert Hainer was effusive in his praise: "Harry Kane can do it all — and he scores goals, goals and more goals. He now joins a line with Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge — that says everything about our history."

Spanish frustration and the Ballon d'Or debate

Kane's victory has not gone unchallenged in Spain. The debate centres on how much weight international tournament success should carry in the voting, with sections of the Spanish press arguing that Lamine Yamal and other members of Spain's Euro-winning squad had equally compelling cases. Comparisons have been drawn to 2010, when Lionel Messi won the award ahead of Spain's World Cup-winning midfielders Andrés Iniesta and Xavi.

Jose Felix Diaz, editor-in-chief of AS and Spain's sole journalist voter, admitted he had expected either Yamal or Kylian Mbappe to win. An AS headline captured the sentiment: "The Messi-Iniesta controversy returns: Spain's only voter says Kane doesn't deserve the Ballon d'Or."

Former Real Madrid midfielder Guti went further, questioning the timing of the ceremony itself: "It's quite a coincidence that they take the 70th anniversary Ballon d'Or ceremony to London and someone from London wins it." He also suggested that Kane's visible surprise when his name was called indicated he had expected Yamal or Mbappe to finish ahead of him.

Spanish newspaper El Pais captured the tension neatly: "What would have been a historic double escaped: in London, goals prevailed over titles." Despite the debate, the majority of the Spanish press acknowledged Kane as a deserving winner, even if opinion naturally tilted towards players from their own national team.