Bayern’s Harry Kane celebrates after scoring during the DFB Pokal, German Cup final soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 23, 2026.
Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi
Bayern’s Harry Kane celebrates after scoring during the German Cup final soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)
Michael Kappeler/Michael Kappeler/DPA via AP
Bayern’s Harry Kane, centre, in action during the DFB Pokal, German Cup final soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 23, 2026.
Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi
Bayern’s Harry Kane, front celebrates with Joshua Kimmich after Kane scored his third goal during the DFB Pokal, German Cup final soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)
Michael Kappeler/Michael Kappeler/DPA via AP
Bayern fans celebrate with pyrotechnics during the DFB Pokal, German Cup final soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
Tom Weller/Tom Weller/DPA via AP
BERLIN (AP) — Harry Kane cut through the smoke of the German Cup final with a hat trick for Bayern Munich to beat defending champion Stuttgart 3-0 and complete another domestic double on Saturday.
Kane’s goals in the second half set off fireworks among the Bayern fans who had joined their Stuttgart rivals in protesting against the German soccer federation (DFB) for a planned increase in security measures.
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The protests started after the halftime break when the Bayern fans displayed a giant DFB logo with a line drawn through it over a banner with an expletive against the DFB, while their Stuttgart counterparts had a banner calling for “freedom for the terraces.” They both then filled the ends of the stadium with huge pyrotechnic displays, shrouding the field under a cover of smoke.
Kane broke the deadlock shortly afterward with a diving header to Michael Olise’s cross in the 55th minute.
That prompted more fireworks from the Bayern fans, worsening the already poor visibility and leading to a break in play.
Kane struck the crossbar with a thunderous shot before sealing the result in the 80th with a shot inside the bottom corner after being picked out by Luis Díaz.
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Angelo Stiller conceded a penalty for hand ball and Kane completed his hat trick from the spot in stoppage time.
Kane finished with 61 goals for Bayern this season, including the cup, league, super cup and Champions League.
They helped Bayern wrap up the Bundesliga title with four rounds to spare.
It was Bayern’s first appearance in the German Cup final since 2000, when it defeated Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 for its previous domestic double.
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Stuttgart defeated third-division champion Arminia Bielefeld 4-2 in last year’s decider.
Bayern celebrations
Bayern’s players ran straight over to their fans in Olympiastadion’s east end to celebrate the end of the six-year cup title drought.
Stuttgart had the better of an intensive first half with Maximilian Mittelstädt forcing an outstanding save from Jonas Urbig, who was playing in place of the injured Manuel Neuer in Bayern’s otherwise full-strength team.
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Kane was frustrated, getting just a shoulder to an Olise cross and having another chance cleared by Ramon Hendriks.
Stuttgart was playing at its limit, however, while Bayern was not. There was only going to be one winner after Kane scored his first.
“The second half was much better. We were much more effective,” Joshua Kimmich told broadcaster ARD before his team got to lift the trophy under a shower of golden confetti.
Pre-game protest
Outside the stadium before the game, Thomas Melchior was continuing his one-man campaign to stop gambling providers’ involvement in sports. He was wearing a bright Stuttgart jersey, looking for Bayern fans to confront with a sign saying “Sport rather than sports betting” while carrying a 30-kilogram weight on his shoulders.
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In contrast to when he first spoke to The Associated Press in October, Melchior was generating more praise than rage as fans had become aware of his campaign. But he wasn’t finished.
“Because betting providers are still advertising everywhere during soccer matches — constantly, everywhere. And because people are still becoming addicted every single day because of that advertising,” Melchior said. “That’s exactly how it was for me back then, and that’s why I’m still doing this.”
Melchior was sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison in 2019 for fraud and theft offenses after losing more than 800,000 euros ($937,000 today) on gambling.
Now trying to make amends, he lamented the endorsement of gambling providers by the likes of FIFA and the DFB.
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“It’s going completely in the wrong direction. There should be less advertising, not more,” Melchior said. “People have to simply know — firstly that sport betting is dangerous, and secondly that it will also destroy sport.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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