The case to be on the Ballon d’Or list for every Paris Saint-Germain player
With the 2025/26 season approaching shortly, that also means that the Ballon d’Or for the previous season will be announced before we know it.
While so many historic feats were accomplished by Paris Saint-Germain in their first European winning campaign in club history, one that has flown under the radar is that they have a chance to break the record of most players on the Ballon d’Or 30-player shortlist.
That record is currently held by Barcelona’s 2011 and Liverpool’s 2019 squads with seven players each, but PSG has a chance to break that record.
I will go through every player who I think has a chance of being on the list of 30 on August 7, and break down their chances of making it.
The Locks
Ousmane Dembele
There is almost nothing that needs to be said here. Dembele is not only going to be on the list, but he will almost certainly be the winner when that time comes.
He scored 35 goals, provided 14 assists, won the Champions League player of the season, and was irreplaceable in the PSG attack.
I could go on, but there is no reason to waste anybody’s time stating the obvious. The brilliance of Dembele’s season was apparent to anyone who watched PSG, and he will likely be the winner of a well-deserved Ballon d’Or on September 22.
Vitinha
While Dembele was the starman up front, none of what PSG did would have been possible without Vitinha.
Under Luis Enrique, Vitinha has transformed from just a decent squad piece to maybe the best on Earth at what he does.
He made the UCL Team Of The Season for the second year running, and he will certainly be in the Ballon d’Or list for the second year running.
He was the main reason that PSG was able to work around the ball-playing shortcomings from Gianluigi Donnarumma, and he was shouldering more responsibility with the ball in the midfield than any other player in Europe.
He ranked in the top five among midfielders in the UCL in passes/90, pass accuracy, and long balls/90. While averaging 99.7 touches/90, he only gave the ball away 0.87 times/90.
Another phenomenal season from him, and he will certainly be higher on the list this year after finishing 27th last year.
Achraf Hakimi
The season Achraf Hakimi put up will not only get him on the Ballon d’Or list, it was one of the best right-back seasons the game has ever seen. He ranked 8th in the Champions League with nine goals and assists.
The next defender was his teammate Nuno Mendes (who I will talk about shortly) at 40th, and the next defender after that was at 86th. The level of output he had is simply not normal for a defender, and without him, Luis Enrique’s system would not work.
Nuno Mendes
My final lock is Hakimi’s crime partner, Nuno Mendes. While Hakimi’s shine came on the offensive end, Mendes’ was on defense. No matter which wingers you threw at him (other than Cole Palmer, apparently), you knew he would shut them down.
Just to name a few, Bukayo Saka, Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Jr., Mohamed Salah, Michael Olise, and Phil Foden all went up against Nuno Mendes in big games and were quieted.
When you combine this with the fact that he is also one of the best attacking fullbacks in the world, you are looking at an all-time campaign from the left back position.
Should Be In
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Donnarumma could certainly have been argued as a lock, but I chose to put him here. While he could leave the club soon, that does not change the fact that he was critical in PSG becoming European champions for the first time.
His performances at Anfield, Aston Villa, and at home against Arsenal were some of the most legendary performances in the club’s history. However, he misses out on the cut as a lock because for every incredible performance, there was also a disastrous one.
The Liverpool first leg, Club World Cup final against Chelsea, and UCL league phase matches against Arsenal, PSV, and Atletico Madrid were all games where PSG was let down by their keeper.
In the end, it was still a very good season by Donnarumma, carried by those big moments, and he will see himself on the list.
Desire Doue
From a purely footballing perspective, I don’t know if Doue belongs in this tier. However, the way he introduced himself to the football world with his screamer of a goal against Aston Villa and then had a historic performance in the Champions League final have gotten him the media attention to where I would be shocked if he doesn’t make the cut.
Doue got off to a shaky start after joining PSG last summer, but once the calendar turned to 2025, he looked like a superstar in the making.
He brought flair and confidence to the Parc Des Princes that was reminiscent of Neymar and lit up some of the biggest games of the season. Doue had a dream first season at PSG, and it is only up from here for him.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
A man who received medals for both Ligue 1 and Serie A this year, Kvaratskhelia’s arrival was the turning point in PSG’s season.
They were a good team before him, but his addition took things to an entirely new level. He showed the ability to be the main man offensively when needed in games such as the first leg against Aston Villa, but he was also the most selfless on the pitch in terms of defensive contribution.
It is rare to see a superstar winger sprint the full length of the pitch to press like he is a 19-year-old academy player fighting for a first-team spot, but that is what made Luis Enrique fall in love with the Georgian.
It would be his second Ballon d’Or nomination, his first coming in 2023 after leading Napoli to a Serie A title.
Bradley Barcola
If it wasn’t for Barcola’s heroics against Manchester City at the Parc Des Princes in January, we would be talking about PSG’s European campaign as one of the most embarrassing moments in the club’s history instead of the brightest day ever.
He had a lot fall on his shoulders after being trusted with the left winger role when Kylian Mbappe departed, and his season got off to a flying start.
While there was a tough stretch in the middle after he started to lose gametime due to the emergence of Doue and the arrival of Kvaratskhelia, he still joined Mohamed Salah and Michael Olise as the only players in Europe to both score and assist twenty or more times.
Close Calls
Joao Neves
This will likely be my biggest disagreement with the voters, but I do not know if Neves will make the list. In my eyes, he was probably the most important player for PSG this season.
When Vitinha went out with an injury, he was able to control the midfield and keep them afloat, and his defensive contribution in the midfield is unmatched.
He has seemingly unlimited stamina, and he is going to be running around the pitch putting pressure on the opposition and winning balls back for all ninety minutes of the match.
If it were up to me, Neves would probably be the second or third highest-ranked PSG player. However, I don’t think the voters will see it the same way, and that leaves Neves on the fringes of making the cut.
Willian Pacho
Pacho was an out-of-the-blue signing by Luis Campos last summer, as there were almost no rumors before Fabrizio Romano dropped the announcement, but what a signing it has been.
Pacho was a rock defensively all throughout the season, earning a well-deserved spot in the Champions League team of the season.
His clearance that set up the counterattack for the second goal in the Champions League final is a play that will go down in PSG history, and it would be nice to see him recognized by the voters for his phenomenal play all season.
His appearance on the UCL TOTS certainly improves his odds, but he will be right on the brink, just like Neves.
Long Shots
Fabian Ruiz
All Fabian Ruiz does is win. He won the Euros with Spain last season while arguably being their best player in that tournament.
He won the Champions League with PSG, and PSG went an unbelievable 44 straight Ligue 1 games without a loss with him in the lineup until their 1-3 loss to Nice in April.
I don’t think he will make the Ballon d’Or shortlist with so many other PSG players in consideration, including his two midfield partners, but I thought his season certainly deserves some recognition.
Marquinhos
Similar to Ruiz, I would be very surprised to see Marquinhos’ name on the list this Thursday. However, this does not mean he did not have an incredible season.
The most decorated player in the club’s history was finally able to captain them to the one they wanted to the most, and without him, they would not be European Champions.
