Khvicha Kvaratskhelia deserves the 2026 Ballon d'Or even without the World Cup, Le Parisien's Dominique Severac says. 'He has no equal in Europe.'
Completely unstoppable when he is in Champions League mode, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has no equal in Europe and carries PSG on his shoulders. Enough to go after the Ballon d'Or?
Although Ousmane Dembele was PSG's only scorer this week in the Champions League semifinal return leg against Bayern Munich, the true offensive star of PSG was Kvaratskhelia.
The Georgian, dizzying his defenders, managed to keep the ball and create chances with very little, in addition to being the assist provider on Dembele's goal. And to top it all off, he adds to his repertoire top-notch defensive recoveries to help his team earn a place in the final.
If Willian Pacho had not been so impressive in defense, he would certainly have received the man of the match award. And in the newsroom of Le Parisien, they see even bigger for him.
At this moment, the Georgian simply deserves the 2025-2026 Ballon d'Or. For Dominique Severac, even with his country's absence from the World Cup, his performance is so superior to others' that he deserves the supreme individual award.
"Even with 64 selections, Kvaratskhelia would have very little chance of participating in the World Cup. It will be 48 teams for the first time this summer, and Georgia did not qualify, with Spain and Turkey in its group. Kvara, nicknamed 'Kvaradona' in Napoles, overperforms with Georgia, which does not yet have enough talent to qualify. In any case, he deserves the 2026 Ballon d'Or, without waiting for the World Cup verdict. If Michael Olise has been the most consistent player of the season, the most impactful is the Parisian winger. Fierce and an animal in duels as in determination, he transforms into a beast on European nights, frankly, at a higher level than matches in a World Cup tournament, final aside. At 25 years old, he already deserves all the gold in the world," assured the Le Parisien journalist, who knows well that in World Cup years, it is almost impossible to see a player who does not play in that competition win.
Too bad for the PSG winger, absolutely wonderful in the matches that count. His 10 goals and 6 assists in the Champions League this season prove it.
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