Surprise pick? Enrique reveals his top candidate for the Ballon d'Or | Goal.com
Luis Enrique has dropped a bombshell. The Paris Saint-Germain manager placed Spain's Fabian Ruiz at the top of his list of candidates to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or, pointing to the exceptional haul the midfielder collected with club and country across an extraordinary season crowned with the game's biggest titles.
Speaking during PSG training hours before the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, Luis Enrique told Spanish newspaper "Sport" that Fabian has a very strong chance of landing the award after combining the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League and the UEFA Nations League.
The Spanish coach was decisive: "Fabi won the World Cup, the European Championship two years ago, the Champions League twice in a row, and the Nations League... the Ballon d'Or! The Ballon d'Or for sure!".
Luis Enrique wasn't alone. PSG captain Marquinhos backed his teammate to compete for the prize, saying: "All that is missing is the Ballon d'Or, that's it", a nod to the fact that Ruiz already boasts a trophy-laden record and lacks only the biggest individual crown in world football.
Fabian Ruiz has built an exceptional record of late. He played a key role in the achievements of both PSG and Spain, sweeping up the French league title, the Champions League, the Intercontinental Cup and the French Super Cup with the French club, plus the UEFA Super Cup, while proving one of the influential figures for the national team under Luis de la Fuente.
An exceptional season places Fabian among the greats
Ruiz now has a historic chance to write his name onto the list of Ballon d'Or winners. In recent years he has transformed from a promising midfielder into one of the most prominent players in his position on the world stage.
The race isn't his alone. The list of contenders features a host of first-rank stars, chief among them France's Kylian Mbappé, England's Harry Kane, Spain's Lamine Yamal, France's Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, and Norway's Erling Haaland.
Kvaratskhelia: the dark horse
Georgia's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia looms as one of the candidates most likely to upend the calculations. He played a pivotal role in PSG's second successive Champions League triumph, despite missing the World Cup.
The numbers were striking. Kvaratskhelia scored 10 goals and provided 6 more in 16 European matches, adding a direct hand in 10 goals across the knockout rounds with 6 goals and 4 assists, earning him the award of best player of the season in the Champions League.
Even so, the race remains wide open. Winning the World Cup counts for plenty but guarantees nothing, with the award supposed to go to the best player across the entire season, not the best at the World Cup alone.
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