Kvaratskhelia PSG's favorite for 2026 Ballon d'Or, Fabian Ruiz in contention

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia stands out as Paris Saint-Germain’s main candidate for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, whose ceremony will be held on October 26 in London. Named best player of the Ligue des Champions last season, the Georgian was one of the architects of the club’s second European triumph.

The list of 30 nominees is set to be unveiled in the coming days. PSG, which had placed nine players among the finalists in 2025 — equaling Real Madrid’s record set in 2018 — should again be well represented, even if repeating such a performance seems difficult.

For Jérôme Rothen, the debate is settled in Kvaratskhelia’s favor. “Kvara, whenever he’s on the pitch, he has genius in him and he makes his team win. Plus, what he has going for him is that he wins the big matches, he has stats in assists and goals that are staggering,” said the former PSG player. Emmanuel Petit shares this view and believes the Georgian “deserves it,” despite Georgia’s absence from the World Cup.

Fabian Ruiz, however, intends not to fade away. The Spanish international can boast a particularly rich collective record over the 2025-2026 season, one of the richest among potential candidates. “I’ve been fortunate to win many collective titles. Individual ones? Few, but why not dream this year of being as close as possible to lifting this trophy. It would be something very beautiful and it would be an honor for me to lift the Ballon d’Or,” he said on Téléfoot.

PSG could thus place two players on the Ballon d’Or podium for the first time in its history. The final answer will be known on October 26 in London, where Ousmane Dembélé’s successor will also be revealed.