Bayern Munich wonderkid Lennart Karl has admitted he is learning a lot from star striker and England captain Harry Kane after breaking a Champions League record in the club's win over Sporting CP. The 17-year-old prodigy has been a revelation for Vincent Kompany's side in the 2025-26 campaign and with consistent performances every week, he is closing in on being included in Germany's 2026 World Cup squad.

  • Karl broke another record in debut campaign

    On a night when the Bundesliga giants found themselves in a precarious position, trailing 1-0 to Sporting CP at the Allianz Arena after a shock Joshua Kimmich own goal, it was their teenage wonderkid Karl who once again provided the catalyst for a vital 3-1 comeback victory. 

    In doing so, the youngster achieved a feat that eluded even the greatest names in the competition's history at his age. By firing home the decisive goal in the 69th minute, cushioning a Konrad Laimer cross before lashing a finish past Rui Silva, the teenager became the youngest player in Champions League history to score in three consecutive matches, aged just 17 years and 290 days. It is not the first European record he has set during this breakthrough season for the Bavarian giants.  

    After the victory at home, Kompany was all praises for the youngster, as he said: "Lenny is always dangerous. To be totally honest, he's had better games, but four or five times he's always there, and that's also a strength, and then you don't always have to be the best player on the pitch. He gets his moments and then he just kills." 

    • Advertisement

  • AFP

    Karl learning from Kane

    After scripting yet another record for the Bavarian giants, Karl credited Bayern star Kane for his dream debut campaign as he told : "It’s so much fun. I’m learning so much with Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich and everyone around me. It allows me to show my football. They play passes to me, I play passes back – they’re great teammates and that makes it a lot of fun." 

  • Karl backed to become a 'German great'

    World Cup-winning, legendary Germany captain Lothar Matthaus heaped praise on Karl and claimed that the teenager has the potential to be a future great for German football. He said to : "He has every opportunity to become a great in German football. He has the right environment at FC Bayern, comes into a functioning team and has already scored important points with his dribbling and self-confidence – also in his interviews. 

    "He's a very big candidate, because players like that, who have something special, are in demand at a tournament like this. These street footballers who don't just let themselves be forced into a system, but also do what they smell and feel at that moment – and that's Lennart Karl." 

    • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

    Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

  • Getty Images

    Will Kane leave Bayern next summer?

    Kane has been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena next summer, with his current contract reportedly containing a €65 million (57m/$76m) release clause. However, according to , the former Spurs striker won't take up the €65m release clause option and instead wants to sign a contract extension with Bayern. 

    While he is ranked second in the Premier League's all-time goalscoring charts, only 47 behind record holder Alan Shearer, the striker is thought to prefer winning more silverware with Vincent Kompany's Bayern, instead of returning home. Kane famously went through his goal-laden spell with Tottenham without winning a single piece of silverware and then had to wait the better part of two years to claim a trophy with Bayern, eventually getting his hands on the Bundesliga trophy last season.