PSG Coach Luis Enrique Insists 2026 Ballon d’Or Must Go to One of His Players
- PSG head coach Luis Enrique publicly declared that the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner should come from his squad
- The French club won back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles after beating Arsenal on penalties in Budapest in May 2026
- Current Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele and World Cup winner Fabian Ruiz are among the PSG players Enrique mentioned
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Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique has said the 2026 Ballon d'Or, to be awarded at a ceremony in London in October, should go to one of his players following the club's second consecutive UEFA Champions League title.
Enrique made the comment at a press conference, pointing to his squad's collective achievements as justification for individual recognition at the game's highest level.
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“I don't care who wins the Ballon d'Or. But, in my opinion, it has to be a PSG player,” he said via TNT Sports.
“We have players who have won the Champions League. We have Fabian Ruiz, who won the World Cup… Ousmane Dembele, who won the Ballon d'Or last season.
“That's my opinion. But I'm not interested in individual awards; the most important thing is the collective.”
PSG won second consecutive UCL
PSG secured their second straight Champions League trophy after defeating Arsenal on penalties in Budapest in May 2026. The triumph came a year after they dismantled Internazionale 5-0 in Munich to claim their first-ever European crown.
Dembele, the winger who currently holds the Ballon d'Or, won the award after an outstanding 2024/25 campaign. He edged out Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to the prize, with PSG midfielder Vitinha finishing third.
Despite Enrique's conviction, there is no standout favourite from the Ligue 1 champions heading into the October vote. Dembele remains in contention as the defending winner, while Ruiz's World Cup triumph adds further weight to his candidacy.
As noted by French Football Weekly, many fans and pundits tip Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to win, but Georgia’s failure to qualify for the World Cup could hurt his chances.
Enrique, who has been central to PSG's transformation into Europe's dominant club side, was careful to frame his comments around team success rather than any single player's campaign, even as he argued the individual prize should stay within his dressing room.
Kane makes honest Ballon d'Or claims
Legit.ng previously reported that Harry Kane made an honest admission about the 2026 Ballon d'Or after a remarkable season for Bayern Munich.
The England international forward admitted that he is super proud of the season he had, but winning the award depends on the votes of journalists.
Source: Legit.ng
