Having won the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain will naturally see several of its players nominated for the Ballon d’Or ceremony. Michel Platini, a French football legend and three-time Ballon d’Or winner (1983–1985), spoke about this on Canal+. While he considers several European stars to be favorites, he revealed that he is placing a small bet on the Parisian player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, a 25-year-old forward.
Platini: “I’d put a small bet on the Paris Saint-Germain player, Kvara.”
“It’s complicated, because for ten years we had the Messi-Ronaldo-Ronaldo-Messi generation… Now it’s much more open; we saw that last year. So I won’t name just one person: I think the most effective player is Kylian (Mbappé).
Someone who is crucial to a team—as we’ve seen—is Rodri; he had a great World Cup. The most amazing footballer is Lamine Yamal. The one who won everything is Fabian Ruiz… so that makes four. But I’d put a small bet on the Paris Saint-Germain player, Kvara.
Platini: “There are four or five players who deserve it.”
I think he’s the one who won the European Cup for Paris Saint-Germain. That’s why I’m placing a small bet—I didn’t say he was my favorite, but I’m putting a small bet on him. There are four or five players who deserve it… Kylian had a fantastic season; he was the top scorer everywhere, though unfortunately, people will say he didn’t win anything. Then there are the others who won a lot of trophies but weren’t top scorers…”
As is often the case, unfortunately, the top scorer is counted among the Ballon d’Or favorites. However, if the standard criteria were strictly applied, a player like Kvaratskhelia would obviously be the top contender for this award. While he is a formidable attacker, the intensity, selflessness, and defensive work rate he brings to the pitch are unmatched.
He is far more than just an attacker; he is a pillar of the team and perfectly embodies the concept of the “collective.” In the Champions League—particularly last season—he shone in every knockout match. He played a pivotal role in this recent success and richly deserves individual recognition for it.
Of course, we know it is never that simple; media narratives come into play, and the race seems wide open this year. Sometimes, winning major trophies is the decisive factor, which would make the Paris players—especially Fabian Ruiz—the heavy favorites. Yet, the key criteria often shift rapidly. Furthermore, it is unfortunate that players who aren’t attackers rarely receive the spotlight.
