Real Madrid have been told they missed a trick by failing to sign Harry Kane after Karim Benzema’s departure in 2023. England captain Kane celebrated an historic Ballon d’Or win on Monday evening as he pipped Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to football’s most prestigious individual prize.Kane has become just the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d’OrAFPThe Bayern Munich superstar became the first Englishman to lift the trophy since Michael Owen in 2001, capping off an incredible year.Kane was crowned the world’s best player after scoring a stunning 73 goals in 65 matches for Bayern and England combined during the 2025/26 season.He won the Bundesliga title at club level, breaking endless records as well as lifting the German Cup and German Super Cup, while also captaining the Three Lions to the World Cup semi-finals.Ballon d’Or glory marked a career-high for Kane, who has soared to new heights since moving to Germany in 2023.The 33-year-old left boyhood club Tottenham as their all-time record goalscorer three years ago after almost 20 years on their books, and has since scored a staggering 156 goals in 159 outings for Bayern.But things could have turned out differently, with Kane also eyed up by Real Madrid in the summer of 2023 as a potential replacement for legendary striker Benzema – who left for Saudi Arabia – before opting for the Bundesliga. Real Madrid’s loss?With Kane the name on everyone’s lips, Spanish football correspondent Phil Kitromiledes joined talkSPORT to discuss his Ballon d’Or triumph, and if there was any chance of him conquering LaLiga in the coming years.The Englishman has been linked with a move to Barcelona as recently as this summer, but Kitromiledes insisted this is unlikely going forward and instead claimed Real Madrid missed the boat in 2023.Asked about a potential Barca switch on talkSPORT’s White and Jordan, he replied: “Possibly not. “He might have to take a little bit of a pay cut to come to Barcelona. I’m not sure they’ve got the money to shell out for him at the moment. But yeah, he’s a player.”Kane has shattered goalscoring records in his three years at BayernGettyBenzema won the 2022 Ballon d’Or with Real Madrid and is their second all-time leading goalscorerGettyWhile few would argue with Kane’s decision to move to Bayern now, Kitromiledes claimed one option could have suited him even better.He insisted Kane’s similarity to Benzema would have made him the perfect man to succeed the Frenchman at Real in 2023 – with both players hailed for their playmaking abilities as well as goalscoring prowess.The Spanish football expert continued: “He should have gone to Real Madrid. Real Madrid should have signed him when Karim Benzema left. “He would have been the ideal player to come in and fulfil that role because he is a brilliant number nine, but he’s also a brilliant number ten. As Benzema once said, ‘I’m a nine with the soul of a ten, a nine and a half.’ And Harry Kane could have done that.“Obviously, I think that that boat has passed now. But at the time I was saying it and it felt pretty obvious if you want to replace someone like Benzema, go and get Harry Kane. “It didn’t happen, but it’s worked out all right for Harry.”Kane’s goals fired Bayern to a league and cup double as he scored 61 times for the club last seasonGettyKane is unlikely to have any regrets over joining Bayern after his Ballon d’Or triumph – his latest milestone in a stellar three years.Last season, he scored 61 goals in 51 matches across all competitions and won the European Golden Boot with 36 league strikes.His time in Germany has also seen him end his infamous trophy drought, with Bundesliga glory in the 2024/25 campaign Kane’s first career silverware, scooped at the age of 31.Ironically, the ex-Spurs man pipped a current Real Madrid star in Mbappe to clinch football’s top individual prize.Mbappe finished second in the final rankings despite scoring 58 goals in 60 games in the 2025/26 season, while Lamine Yamal came third.The Frenchman also won the Golden Boot at the World Cup this summer as France reached the semi-finals, becoming the tournament’s all-time top scorer, but failed to winy any trophies.