diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index 09de07fa501..108f3b5d81a 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	sdktrace "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace/tracetest"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
 	oteltrace "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
 
 	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
@@ -69,6 +72,7 @@ import (
 	fakeremote "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/fake"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/eviction"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/images"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/lifecycle"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/logs"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/network/dns"
@@ -3100,8 +3104,8 @@ func createAndStartFakeRemoteRuntime(t *testing.T) (*fakeremote.RemoteRuntime, s
 	return fakeRuntime, endpoint
 }
 
-func createRemoteRuntimeService(endpoint string, t *testing.T) internalapi.RuntimeService {
-	runtimeService, err := remote.NewRemoteRuntimeService(endpoint, 15*time.Second, oteltrace.NewNoopTracerProvider())
+func createRemoteRuntimeService(endpoint string, t *testing.T, tp trace.TracerProvider) internalapi.RuntimeService {
+	runtimeService, err := remote.NewRemoteRuntimeService(endpoint, 15*time.Second, tp)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	return runtimeService
 }
@@ -3139,7 +3143,7 @@ func TestNewMainKubeletStandAlone(t *testing.T) {
 		fakeRuntime.Stop()
 	}()
 	fakeRecorder := &record.FakeRecorder{}
-	rtSvc := createRemoteRuntimeService(endpoint, t)
+	rtSvc := createRemoteRuntimeService(endpoint, t, oteltrace.NewNoopTracerProvider())
 	kubeDep := &Dependencies{
 		Auth:                 nil,
 		CAdvisorInterface:    cadvisor,
@@ -3222,3 +3226,119 @@ func TestNewMainKubeletStandAlone(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, testMainKubelet.configMapManager, "configmap manager should be nil if kubelet is in standalone mode")
 	assert.Nil(t, testMainKubelet.secretManager, "secret manager should be nil if kubelet is in standalone mode")
 }
+
+func TestSyncPodSpans(t *testing.T) {
+	testKubelet := newTestKubelet(t, false)
+	kubelet := testKubelet.kubelet
+
+	recorder := record.NewFakeRecorder(20)
+	nodeRef := &v1.ObjectReference{
+		Kind:      "Node",
+		Name:      "testNode",
+		UID:       types.UID("testNode"),
+		Namespace: "",
+	}
+	kubelet.dnsConfigurer = dns.NewConfigurer(recorder, nodeRef, nil, nil, "TEST", "")
+
+	kubeCfg := &kubeletconfiginternal.KubeletConfiguration{
+		SyncFrequency: metav1.Duration{Duration: time.Minute},
+		ConfigMapAndSecretChangeDetectionStrategy: kubeletconfiginternal.WatchChangeDetectionStrategy,
+		ContainerLogMaxSize:                       "10Mi",
+		ContainerLogMaxFiles:                      5,
+		MemoryThrottlingFactor:                    utilpointer.Float64(0),
+	}
+
+	exp := tracetest.NewInMemoryExporter()
+	tp := sdktrace.NewTracerProvider(
+		sdktrace.WithBatcher(exp),
+	)
+	kubelet.tracer = tp.Tracer(instrumentationScope)
+
+	fakeRuntime, endpoint := createAndStartFakeRemoteRuntime(t)
+	defer func() {
+		fakeRuntime.Stop()
+	}()
+	runtimeSvc := createRemoteRuntimeService(endpoint, t, tp)
+	kubelet.runtimeService = runtimeSvc
+
+	fakeRuntime.ImageService.SetFakeImageSize(100)
+	fakeRuntime.ImageService.SetFakeImages([]string{"test:latest"})
+	imageSvc, err := remote.NewRemoteImageService(endpoint, 15*time.Second, tp)
+
+	kubelet.containerRuntime, err = kuberuntime.NewKubeGenericRuntimeManager(
+		kubelet.recorder,
+		kubelet.livenessManager,
+		kubelet.readinessManager,
+		kubelet.startupManager,
+		kubelet.rootDirectory,
+		kubelet.machineInfo,
+		kubelet.podWorkers,
+		kubelet.os,
+		kubelet,
+		nil,
+		kubelet.backOff,
+		kubeCfg.SerializeImagePulls,
+		kubeCfg.MaxParallelImagePulls,
+		float32(kubeCfg.RegistryPullQPS),
+		int(kubeCfg.RegistryBurst),
+		"",
+		"",
+		kubeCfg.CPUCFSQuota,
+		kubeCfg.CPUCFSQuotaPeriod,
+		runtimeSvc,
+		imageSvc,
+		kubelet.containerManager,
+		kubelet.containerLogManager,
+		kubelet.runtimeClassManager,
+		false,
+		kubeCfg.MemorySwap.SwapBehavior,
+		kubelet.containerManager.GetNodeAllocatableAbsolute,
+		*kubeCfg.MemoryThrottlingFactor,
+		kubeletutil.NewPodStartupLatencyTracker(),
+		tp,
+	)
+
+	pod := podWithUIDNameNsSpec("12345678", "foo", "new", v1.PodSpec{
+		Containers: []v1.Container{
+			{
+				Name:            "bar",
+				Image:           "test:latest",
+				ImagePullPolicy: v1.PullAlways,
+			},
+		},
+		EnableServiceLinks: utilpointer.Bool(false),
+	})
+
+	_, err = kubelet.SyncPod(context.Background(), kubetypes.SyncPodCreate, pod, nil, &kubecontainer.PodStatus{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = tp.ForceFlush(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, exp.GetSpans())
+
+	// find root span for syncPod
+	var rootSpan *tracetest.SpanStub
+	spans := exp.GetSpans()
+	for i, span := range spans {
+		if span.Name == "syncPod" {
+			rootSpan = &spans[i]
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	assert.NotNil(t, rootSpan)
+
+	imageServiceSpans := make([]tracetest.SpanStub, 0)
+	runtimeServiceSpans := make([]tracetest.SpanStub, 0)
+	for _, span := range exp.GetSpans() {
+		if span.SpanContext.TraceID() == rootSpan.SpanContext.TraceID() && span.Parent.SpanID() == rootSpan.SpanContext.SpanID() {
+			switch {
+			case strings.HasPrefix(span.Name, "runtime.v1.ImageService"):
+				imageServiceSpans = append(imageServiceSpans, span)
+			case strings.HasPrefix(span.Name, "runtime.v1.RuntimeService"):
+				runtimeServiceSpans = append(runtimeServiceSpans, span)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, imageServiceSpans)
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, runtimeServiceSpans)
+}