Declan Rice has admitted he wants England colleague Harry Kane to win the Ballon d'Or, even though the Arsenal midfielder is himself nominated for the award.
The Bayern Munich forward, formerly of Tottenham, has enjoyed a stellar year and is the favourite to claim the Golden Ball, which will be handed out in London later this year. If successful, Kane would become the first English winner in a quarter of a century.
Rice's impressive year
Rice's own strong campaign has placed him among the 30 nominees, with the midfielder winning the Premier League, reaching the Champions League final and helping England reach the last four of the World Cup.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Bayern talisman Kane helped the Bavarians retain their German crown during a year in which he scored 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country. Rice is backing his compatriot to claim the Ballon d'Or off the back of that.
What Rice said
The Arsenal midfielder said: "It's the second year in a row I have been nominated. It's obviously really good, I'm really proud. Obviously I know who I want to win it. I'd love to see Harry Kane win it, so I'm wishing him all the best in that."
Other contenders
Rice is one of three Arsenal players nominated for the Ballon d'Or, alongside Gabriel and William Saliba. The pair have forged a central defensive partnership regarded among Europe's best. Individually, they have also earned huge plaudits.
This is considered the most open Ballon d'Or for years, owing to different individuals enjoying success at club and international level. PSG retained their Champions League crown, while Spain backed up their Euro 2024 triumph by winning the World Cup. Fabian Ruiz is the only player to have played for both, but few expect him to claim the award.
Kane, despite his goalscoring exploits, was beaten to the best Bundesliga player award by Frenchman Michael Olise. France icon Kylian Mbappe broke the record for goals scored at a World Cup, but he ultimately ended the season without a trophy.
Ousmane Dembele, the current holder, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are all being discussed as potential winners, but each of them also have arguments against.
Since Luka Modric broke the duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, there have been five different winners across the seven years.
