Rice hits back at Baena's claims that Yamal deserved Ballon d'Or over Kane
| Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images. |
Ahead of Spain's meeting with England, Declan Rice has hit back at Alex Baena's suggestion that Lamine Yamal deserved the Ballon d'Or over Harry Kane.
When asked if the game is a great opportunity for Kane to show the world that he was the one who truly deserved that award, Rice believes the Bayern Munich star can do exactly that.
“I think in Harry's case, for me and for everyone in England, Harry deserved the Ballon d'Or," the English midfielder said during the Three Lions' press conference.
"I think if you look at his season, his numbers, the trophies he won and the way he performed in those games, it wasn't just about goals.
"He delivered man-of-the-match performances. He was relentless. So, I can understand why every Spanish player is obviously going to say Lamine.
"Lamine is an incredible player, one of the best players in the world, and he's going to win plenty of Ballon d'Or's in the future.
“But I think this time it was right that Harry won, and I think he fully deserved it,” Rice concluded ahead of their meeting with the 2026 World Cup winners in Madrid.
