Declan Rice Backs Harry Kane to Win Ballon d’Or, Calls Him ‘Ridiculous’

• Declan Rice told TNT Sports that Harry Kane is “the clear winner” of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded on Monday.
• Kane scored from the penalty spot in Bayern Munich’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Arsenal and became only the second player to score in 10 consecutive Champions League matches.
• The England captain, 33, would be the first Englishman to win the award after Michael Owen in 2001.

An Arsenal Midfielder Makes the Case for Harry Kane

Declan Rice scored the late goal that earned Arsenal a point at Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, and he used his post-match interviews to argue that the man who had put Bayern in front should win the Ballon d’Or. Asked by CBS Sports whether he would like to see Harry Kane take the prize, Rice replied: “100%.”

“I think it’s his time. I think he deserves this,” Rice said. “His whole career, the consistency he’s showed, the longevity he’s showed. He’s getting better with age.”

The England teammates met in a 2-2 Champions League draw. Eberechi Eze gave Arsenal the lead, Kane bent a pass around Jurrien Timber for Alphonso Davies to level, and Kane then fired Bayern ahead from the penalty spot midway through the second half. Rice struck late to share the points.

Rice made the same case to TNT Sports, in stronger terms. “He is the clear winner. His numbers speak for themselves. The year he has had has been remarkable,” he said. “When you play with him, you realise how good he is, and when you play against him, you see how much of a pain it is. He is ridiculous, such a good player, and I am lucky I can play with him, not so lucky I have to play against him.”

He also pointed to Kane’s work for his country. “What he’s done in an England shirt … So many different things that have played into account for this past year,” Rice told CBS Sports.

The Numbers Behind the Campaign

The penalty was Kane’s 10th goal of the season, according to ESPN, and it extended a run that BBC Sport described as 10 consecutive Champions League matches with a goal. Only one other player has managed that: Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored in 11 successive matches for Real Madrid between June 2017 and April 2018. The goal also took Kane’s career tally against Arsenal to 16.

His record at Bayern after leaving Tottenham in 2023 stands at 156 goals in 158 appearances. Last month he became the fastest player in history to reach 100 Bundesliga goals, getting there in his 98th appearance and breaking Dieter Müller’s record of 129 games. In 2025-26 he scored 61 goals in 51 appearances. ESPN reported that sources say Kane is close to signing a new deal at Bayern.

Trust Under Vincent Kompany

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport that the freedom Kane enjoys at Bayern sits at the centre of his form. “Under Vincent Kompany, he has been given a level of trust that he has probably never had before under any other manager,” Onuoha said.

Onuoha pointed to a moment inside the first 25 minutes, when Kane took a Bayern goal-kick himself and launched an 80-yard pass that almost ended with Bayern taking the lead. “Nobody has seen him take a goal-kick before,” Onuoha said. Even Manuel Neuer, he added, “sees Harry Kane put the ball down and thinks, ‘OK, sure’.”

Rivals and a Waiting Game

Kane is up against Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, according to ESPN, and BBC Sport lists Yamal and current holder Ousmane Dembele among the favourites. Kane made the 30-man shortlist in September. A jury of 100 journalists voted, and the winner will be announced on Monday at the ceremony in London.

Kane has said he is trying not to “stress” about the result. “It would be amazing to win,” he said after the Arsenal game. “The voting closed a long time ago so there’s nothing I can do, just wait and see what happens.”

Rice spoke about the man as well as the player. “Beyond all of the football stuff, as a person as well, just how he is as a leader, as an actual person, such a good guy,” he said. “I can’t speak highly enough of him. So, I hope on Monday he has that gold trophy in his hands.”

An English winner would end a 25-year wait. “First [English Ballon d’Or winner] since Michael Owen so it would be really special,” Rice said.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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