Toni Kroos names PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as favourite for the 2026 Ballon d'Or | Goal.com
If the former Real Madrid star had his way, football's biggest individual prize would go to a Paris Saint-Germain player again. Not to Ousmane Dembele, as it did last year, but to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
"Kvara probably won't get it, but for me he's the pretty clear number one!" the 2014 World Cup winner wrote in the comments under an Instagram post by commentator Florian Malburg. Kroos does rate players such as Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Rodri as outstanding, but he believes their chances are lower because of what he sees as a "modest season" or an "insignificant league" respectively.
Kvaratskhelia, for his part, can look back on an outstanding season with PSG. The Georgian won the French title again with the club from the capital and also retained the Champions League. The winger stood out in Europe's top club competition in particular, posting ten goals and seven assists from the opening league match through to the final win over Arsenal.
Internationally, though, the year was a disappointment for the 25-year-old. Georgia failed to qualify for the World Cup, leaving Kvaratskhelia to watch the tournament in North America on television.
Still, while virtually everyone sees the PSG star as a Ballon d'Or contender, he is only rarely mentioned in the inner circle of favourites. Better chances are being given, among others, to world champion Rodri, record winner Lionel Messi and Bayern's Harry Kane, who scored 72 competitive goals and won the Golden Shoe for it.
That question will be answered on 26 October. The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony will exceptionally take place in London rather than Paris this year.
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