Excluded from Ballon d'Or top 30, Doué responds after masterclass against Barcelona

Désiré Doué delivered one of the most impressive performances of the evening during Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-2 victory over FC Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday night. The problem: his name does not appear among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, a list unveiled by France Football that immediately sparked a wave of criticism on social media.

In the mixed zone after the match, the former Rennes player chose restraint over controversy. “Today, I’m not nominated for the Ballon d’Or. Everyone makes their choices. That’s how it is,” he said, before adding: “I continue to work on my side. My objective is to break everything, to win everything again this season. So we’ll keep working.”

On X, reactions were far less measured. “Désiré Doué is not in the top 30 for the Ballon d’Or lol,” “Really zero credibility for this ceremony,” “Farce”: indignant comments multiplied in the hours following the list’s publication.

France Football journalist Olivier Bossard attempted to explain this choice on the show L’Équipe de Greg. According to him, Doué finished 31st or 32nd in the ranking established by the selection panel, which brings together representatives from France Football, L’Équipe’s editorial team, a former jury member, and UEFA ambassadors. “Right up to the end, some tried to get him into the top 30,” he said, before citing internal competition at PSG and with the France national team with Bradley Barcola. “One moment it was Barcola, the next it was him. With France, we had the impression that Doué was ahead, but ultimately at the last moment Barcola was better and used more by Deschamps.”

Bossard also felt that Doué had been “less impressive” than in his previous season and had “struggled a bit” with his rise in form. A justification that, on the evening of a resounding 4-2 victory against Barcelona, is unlikely to convince many.