Rice Makes His Choice Despite Being Nominated Himself
Declan Rice has thrown his support behind Harry Kane for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, even though Rice himself is among the 30 nominees. The Arsenal captain, who led his club to the Premier League title last season, said he would love to see his England captain lift the trophy. Rice’s endorsement places Kane ahead of himself in the race and adds an interesting English angle to the competition.
Kane’s Remarkable Season at Bayern Munich
Kane’s case for the award is built on an outstanding season with Bayern Munich. The striker scored 61 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions during the 2025/26 campaign. He won the Bundesliga Golden Boot with 36 league goals and helped Bayern secure both the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal. When adding his international goals for England, Kane finished the season with 73 goals for club and country.
Champions League and European Recognition
Kane’s performances in Europe were equally impressive. He scored 14 goals in the Champions League and became the first English player to find the net in seven consecutive Champions League appearances. His consistency earned him the European Golden Shoe after finishing as the top scorer across Europe’s domestic leagues. These achievements highlight both the volume of his goals and their impact in important matches.
Tough Competition for the Prize
The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is highly competitive. Defending champion Ousmane Dembele is nominated again after Paris Saint-Germain’s European success. Kylian Mbappe remains a major threat following another prolific season with Real Madrid and France. Lamine Yamal is another strong contender after his breakthrough campaign for Barcelona and Spain. Lionel Messi is also back on the shortlist, while Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Rodri, and Vinicius Jr add further heavyweight competition.
When the Winner Will Be Announced
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place at the Palladium Theatre in London on October 26. With so many talented players in contention, the final decision will be closely watched. Rice’s support for Kane adds another layer of interest to the race, especially given that both players are nominees.
Read More: Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy: The Men’s and Women’s Young Talent of the Year Nominations
Harry Kane Joins Cristiano Ronaldo in Exclusive Champions League Scoring Club
Harry Kane further cemented his status as one of the most prolific strikers in Champions League history on Wednesday. He scored during Bayern Munich’s 2-0 win over Bodo/Glimt at the Allianz Arena, extending his scoring run to eight consecutive Champions League appearances. This achievement places him among just four players in the competition’s history to ever reach that mark.
The Exclusive Club
Kane joins Cristiano Ronaldo, who has achieved the feat on two separate occasions during the 2013-14 and 2017-18 campaigns. The other two members of this exclusive group are Robert Lewandowski, who also managed the streak twice in his career, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, whose own run helped define an era of Champions League goalscoring in the early 2000s.
Kane’s Goal and Overall Impact
Kane’s goal came in the 60th minute when he rose to head home a cross from Michael Olise. Jamal Musiala had opened the scoring earlier in the match. The strike also extended Kane’s tally to 33 Champions League goals since joining Bayern in the summer of 2023, which is the most of any player in the competition over that stretch.
Chasing Ronaldo’s All-Time Record
Kane’s current run leaves him three matches shy of the outright record of 11 consecutive Champions League appearances with a goal. That mark was set by Cristiano Ronaldo between September 2017 and April 2018 and remains unmatched. With Bayern set to continue their group-phase campaign in the coming weeks, Kane will have every opportunity to keep the streak alive and push closer to a milestone that has stood since Ronaldo’s historic run at Real Madrid.
The Road Ahead
If Kane keeps the streak alive, his next three Champions League opponents will test him. Bayern will face Viking FK away on October 13, Arsenal at home on October 21, and Atletico Madrid away on November 3. A goal in all three matches would take Kane to 11 consecutive matches scoring and level him with Ronaldo’s all-time mark. Should he then find the net again away to Lille on November 25, Kane would move to 12 straight games and surpass Ronaldo outright as the player with the longest goalscoring streak in Champions League history.
Read on Martin Odegaard – The Incredible Viking