According to Diario Sport, the competition for the 2026 Ballon d'Or will be exceptionally fierce. Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz, with his Club World Cup and Champions League titles, is a strong contender.
Just hours before the 2026 UEFA Super Cup kicks off, Fabian still has a chance to add another trophy to his collection. Head coach Luis Enrique has already propelled him to the forefront of the Ballon d'Or race. During pre-match training for Salzburg's game against Aston Villa, Enrique said, "Fabi has already won: the World Cup, the European Championship two years ago, back-to-back Champions League matches, the Nations League… the Ballon d'Or! The Ballon d'Or is in the bag!" The match will take place at 3:00 AM Beijing time on August 13th.
Marquinhos agreed: "All that's left is the Ballon d'Or, that's it."
In addition, Fabian won the Ligue 1, Club World Cup, French Super Cup and European Super Cup with his team last season, and played an important role in both Luis Enrique's team and Luis de la Fuente's Spanish team.
Ruiz returned to the team after a break following the Club World Cup and subsequently participated in Paris Saint-Germain's traditional welcome channel ceremony, officially rejoining the team to prepare for the new season.
Fabian was born in Los Palacios and came through the Real Betis youth academy. He performed well in Serie A during his time at Napoli before transferring to Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 for approximately €23 million. At PSG, he has become one of the team's key midfielders and accumulated a resume full of accolades, achievements that may help him secure a Ballon d'Or nomination.
Kvalatschria is a "hidden candidate" for Paris Saint-Germain.
France has also shortlisted another Paris Saint-Germain player for this international award: Kvalatschria. Although he didn't participate in the Club World Cup, he was one of the most important players in Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League victory and back-to-back titles.
Kvara was named the Champions League MVP this season, scoring 10 goals and providing 6 assists in 16 matches; in the knockout stage, he was directly involved in 10 goals, contributing 6 goals and 4 assists.
Other top Ballon d'Or nominees include world-class football stars such as Mbappe, Harry Kane, Yamal, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Oliese, and Haaland.
The Ballon d'Or race continues. A few weeks ago, the official Ballon d'Or committee reminded the public that winning the World Cup "helps, but does not guarantee the Ballon d'Or," as the award values "the best player of the season, not just World Cup performance."
