Doué absent from Ballon d'Or 2026: Champions League finalist overlooked in 30-man shortlist

Désiré Doué is the major absentee from the 30-man Ballon d’Or 2026 shortlist unveiled this week. The PSG winger is the only Paris field player who started in the Champions League final not to feature on the list, an omission all the more glaring given that he played all 120 minutes of the final against Arsenal.

Doué’s absence stands out against the season delivered by the former Rennes player. Decisive on several occasions during the knockout stages, he was notably one of PSG’s best performers in the semi-final and final. Manager Luis Enrique trusted him in every high-stakes match, despite a highly competitive squad.

The omission particularly shocked consultant Jérôme Rothen, who pulled no punches. “Either they have shit in their eyes, or they’re not watching the matches,” he said. “When you look at PSG’s campaign last year, if Désiré Doué had been average, do you think he would have played every important match? Luis Enrique would have taken him off, especially with the competition.”

Rothen also highlighted the presence of names on the list that raise more questions, notably Senegalese Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr) and Mexican Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah FC). “You remove him from the 30-man list and you put some of these in?” he asked.

The former Monaco player did, however, nuance his comments on the player himself. “At times, he has unnecessary flourishes. When you feel superior, sometimes you want to enjoy yourself, you try a complicated move. That doesn’t mean he’s got a big head.” Before concluding: “Against Rennes, PSG get through thanks to Ferran Torres but thank goodness Désiré Doué was there. He was the only one with legs. Why has he disappeared from the list?”