Before the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, England head coach Thomas Tuchel backed Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice for the 2026 award. GOAL said the ceremony will be held at the London Palladium as a historic 70th-anniversary celebration.
Tuchel on the shortlist
Tuchel said he was delighted to have Rice, Bellingham and Kane on the 30-man shortlist. He said: "I'm delighted to have three players in there with Declan, Jude and Harry. I could tell the voters that they could pick any of these three and would never have the choice wrong as they all deserve it. They're all in the mix, and while I'm not voting, if I could I'd vote for all three of them so let's see what happens. This award has been out there for a long time, and it becomes bigger and bigger with every year."
His case for Kane
On Kane, Tuchel said: "After last season? 70-plus goals, three titles with Bayern Munich, two semi-finals at the World Cup and the Champions League? He's getting better and better and it's just the full package. Everyone sees it. I think it was a good move for him to get the recognition within his own country but also in another country and to fight for it again and to start something completely new and to be in a club where it only counts to win and nothing else matters. That brought the best out of him."
Rice and Bellingham
Tuchel said: "And Declan is an outstanding team player. He has the responsibility on his shoulders for Arsenal and was a key player in a top campaign for them, reaching finals and winning the Premier League, so he deserves to be on that list."
On Bellingham, Tuchel said: "Jude proved his talent at the highest level again and on the biggest stage at the World Cup with world-class performances throughout the tournament."
