Lucho Spreads the Praise Around
Luis Enrique didn’t hold back after watching Paris Saint-Germain demolish Slovan Bratislava 6-1 in the Champions League. Speaking to reporters afterward, he turned a routine question about team selection into something far more interesting: a fresh verdict on football’s biggest individual prize.
“Kvara is a top, top player who can win the Ballon d’Or,” Enrique said, before widening the net considerably. “The same for Vitinha, Fabian or Ousmane.” That single sentence effectively nominated four separate players from his own squad, a remarkable show of faith even by PSG’s star-studded standards.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, in particular, has emerged as a talking point lately. He and Desire Doue both started on the bench against Slovan, yet Enrique’s comments suggested selection depth rather than any dip in regard. The Georgian winger has become a fixture of PSG’s attacking rotation since arriving from Napoli, blending trickery with genuine end product.
Vitinha’s inclusion surprises nobody following his season. The midfielder finished third in last year’s Ballon d’Or voting, behind only Dembele and Lamine Yamal, capping a remarkable rise from a spell on loan at Wolverhampton five years earlier. Fabian Ruiz, often overlooked amid PSG’s flashier names, continues quietly anchoring midfield with consistency few match.
Then there’s Ousmane Dembele himself, last year’s winner and still the benchmark others get measured against. Enrique’s praise for his squad, while generous, never diminished Dembele’s standing. If anything, grouping him alongside Kvara, Vitinha and Fabian only reinforced how PSG’s collective strength now defines individual conversations around Europe’s top award. For readers tracking Ballon d’Or odds and PSG’s ongoing form, KCPredict offers regular updates throughout the season.
The Chant That Started It All
Enrique also touched on something more sentimental: the song PSG’s supporters sing whenever Dembele lights up a match. “When I hear ‘Ousmane Ballon d’Or’ I feel we can have another one in the future,” he explained, nodding toward the club’s growing depth of genuine contenders.
That chant, born from Dembele’s stunning 2025 campaign, has become something of a Parc des Princes anthem. Enrique’s comments hint at succession within his own dressing room rather than complacency, suggesting he expects the tune to eventually honour someone else entirely.
Nine PSG players made this year’s 30-man shortlist, more than any other club worldwide. That figure alone illustrates why Enrique speaks so freely about multiple candidates rather than crowning one favourite. Whether Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha or Fabian genuinely challenges for October’s ceremony remains uncertain, though few would bet against Paris producing another winner, according to reporting from Goal.com.