Yamal, Kane or Mbappe? Arsenal Star Declan Rice Names Who Should Win 2026 Ballon d’Or

• Arsenal's Declan Rice backed England teammate Harry Kane to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or after their Champions League clash
• Rice made the comments following a 2-2 draw between Arsenal and Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League group stage
• Both Rice and Kane got on the scoresheet in the match, with Rice also nominated for the Ballon d'Or for a second consecutive year

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has thrown his weight behind Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane to take home the 2026 Ballon d'Or

The midfielder backed his England teammate as the clear frontrunner ahead of other leading contenders Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.

Rice made the comments following a 2-2 draw between Arsenal and Bayern Munich in a UEFA Champions League group-stage fixture, in which both players found the net.

Rice backs Kane for Ballon d'Or

Speaking after the match, Rice left little room for debate when asked about his pick for the award.

“or me, he's the clear winner. His numbers speak for themselves. The year he's had has been remarkable,” he said via Standard Sport.

The Arsenal midfielder also pointed to what he witnessed on the pitch as evidence of Kane's quality, both as a teammate in international football and as an opponent on the club stage.

“He's obviously up against some other world-class players but 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,” Rice added.

He also singled out the specific moment of his assist for Alphonso Davies from the match to illustrate his point.

“For a striker to play that pass for their first goal then take the penalty how he did... he's ridiculous, he's such a good player,” Rice concluded.

Rice himself is not outside of the conversation when it comes to the annual award. The Arsenal man earned a Ballon d'Or nomination for the second year running after playing a key role in Arsenal's Premier League title win, the club's first in 22 years.

Despite his own nomination, Rice made clear that he believes Kane's individual output this year puts the striker ahead of the competition, including two of the most celebrated players in world football in Mbappe and Yamal.

Bayern tease Kane’s Ballon d'Or win

Legit.ng previously reported that Bayern Munich dropped a teaser on their social media page that left fans thinking Kane has been informed he won the Ballon d'Or.

The club shared an image of the striker dressed in a suit inside a hall similar to the one at Palladium Theatre where the award ceremony will be hosted.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.