Ballon d'Or 2026: Désiré Doué narrowly missed out, controversy grows over voting process

Désiré Doué is not among the thirty nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, whose list was unveiled Wednesday by France Football and UEFA. The absence of the PSG attacking midfielder, like that of his teammate Bradley Barcola, sparked strong reactions in French football circles.

Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football, attempted to explain the decision in L’Équipe’s pages. According to him, the “interchangeable” status of the two Paris players, both at club and international level, as well as their lack of consistency throughout the season, weighed in the balance. “Everyone submitted their list of nominees in each category. Then we had to count and meet after the World Cup final to decide, because there are inevitably debates when a player approaches the red zone of 50% of votes,” he said.

France Football journalist Olivier Bossard provided additional details: Doué reportedly finished 31st or 32nd in the ranking, just a few votes short of the threshold. “Right to the end, some tried to get him into the top 30. But those who didn’t ultimately felt that the competition worked against him, notably the competition with Barcola,” he explained, adding that the player had “struggled a bit to come to terms with” his season after a more impressive previous campaign.

The controversy took on another dimension when Paris insider Djamel, followed for his information on the capital club, publicly raised the question on X: could Doué’s refusal of “three or four interviews” with France Football have influenced his non-selection? L’Équipe journalist Loïc Tanzi dismissed this hypothesis, recalling that the voting panel far exceeds the magazine’s editorial staff and includes personalities like Fabio Capello and Luis Figo. Djamel maintained his position, emphasizing that Doué’s inclusion had been subject to “last-minute arbitration” and that the majority of voters remained print journalists.

The debate highlights the limitations of a selection process where a handful of votes can separate a player from international recognition, and raises questions about the transparency of the criteria used by France Football to establish its list.