Harry Kane is arguably the greatest Tottenham player of all time.
The BBC has sparked debate by ranking Harry Kane second among the greatest centre-forwards of the 21st century, placing him above Arsenal‘s Thierry Henry. This ranking may not be well-received by Arsenal fans.
Kane is second only to Ronaldo Nazario in the BBC list, surpassing other notable players such as Henry, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Luis Suarez. Interestingly, Erling Haaland ranks above several of these legends, despite his shorter career so far.
The England captain has had an impressive career, recently reaching 500 goals in 743 appearances across all competitions. He achieved this milestone on February 14 with a double in a 3-0 victory against Werder Bremen, with 100 of those goals coming from penalties. Kane is also the fastest player to score 100 goals for one club in a top-five European league this century, accomplishing this in just 104 games for Bayern Munich.
Harry Kane’s trophy cabinet is finally growing
For years, the absence of major trophies affected Kane’s legacy. However, the 32-year-old finally won his first major title last season, claiming the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. He added the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup in August 2025 after scoring in a 2-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart. Kane has been exceptional in Germany, scoring 109 goals in 116 games for Bayern.
His international record is equally strong. Kane is England’s all-time top scorer and has led the national team to consecutive European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024. He also helped secure England’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with two goals in a 5-0 win over Latvia in October 2025.
As of February 25, 2026, Kane ranks third in the UEFA Champions League goalscorers list and is Bayern Munich’s top scorer in the tournament, with eight goals in eight matches. He surpassed David Beckham to become the English player with the most combined goals and assists in Champions League history.
The Harry Kane-Thierry Henry debate that the BBC might have just stirred
Thierry Henry’s exclusion from the top two is likely to provoke discussion. The Frenchman won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and the Champions League with Barcelona in 2008. He holds the record as Arsenal’s all-time leading scorer with 228 goals and was also France’s top scorer until surpassed by Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe.
Other notable players missing from the top 10 include Samuel Eto’o, 2004 Ballon d’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko, and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Luis Suarez ranks ninth, having twice broken the hold of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the European Golden Shoe and won six league titles throughout his career.