{
  "id": 16111056,
  "title": "Declan Rice backs Harry Kane in Ballon d’Or battle as Thierry Henry delivers verdict on England star",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/declan-rice-backs-harry-kane-in-ballon-dor-battle-as-thierry-henry",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-22T21:44:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/declan-rice-backs-harry-kane-214425994.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane is among the favorites to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award, with Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice coming to his defense. Rice considers Kane deserving of the accolade, praising the England captain's consistent performance, longevity, and leadership on and off the pitch. Kane's impressive numbers this past year, including 73 goals and 8 assists in 65 appearances for club and country, bolster his chances of securing the title. The award, set to be judged on his domestic and international performances from 2025 to 2026, would mark the first win for an Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001.",
  "summary": "Arsenal's Declan Rice has publicly backed Bayern Munich's Harry Kane to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or, while Thierry Henry has delivered his verdict on the England captain's current caliber",
  "key_points": [
    "Declan Rice endorses Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or chances",
    "Rice praises Kane's consistent performance and leadership",
    "Kane's stats: 73 goals, 8 assists in 65 appearances"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "2026 Ballon d'Or: He's the clear winner - Declan Rice picks player to take award",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/2026-ballon-dor-hes-the-clear-winner-declan-rice-picks-player-to-take",
        "published": "2026-10-22T05:18:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Ballon d’Or 2026: Can Bayern’s Harry Kane end England’s 25 years of hurt?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/ballon-dor-2026-can-bayerns-harry-kane-end-englands-25-years-of-hurt",
        "published": "2026-10-22T21:03:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Kane eyes Ballon d'Or as Bayern draw with Arsenal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/kane-eyes-ballon-dor-as-bayern-draw-with-arsenal",
        "published": "2026-10-22T22:00:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}