PSG's Enrique blasts Ballon d'Or snub: Vitinha deserves better than 14th
PSG manager Luis Enrique has called out the 2026 Ballon d'Or voters for ranking midfielder Vitinha 14th, insisting the Portuguese star deserved a far higher finish after powering the club to a second straight Champions League title. Vitinha, 26, arrived at the London Palladium ceremony on October 26 with a Champions League Team of the Season nod and another dominant midfield campaign — yet dropped sharply from his third-place finish in 2025.
Enrique didn't hold back at his October 29 press conference in Poissy ahead of PSG's Ligue 1 clash with Le Havre. "His level is incredible. We're very pleased to have a player of his calibre, even though he wasn't ranked as highly as he deserves," the Spaniard said, adding Vitinha's technical and physical ability make him a pleasure to coach. The manager also noted he was glad the Ballon d'Or debate was over.
The snub looks starker alongside PSG's broader dominance in the rankings: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (6th), Ousmane Dembélé (7th), and Fabián Ruiz (10th) all cracked the top 10, while Achraf Hakimi edged Vitinha at 13th. Harry Kane claimed the top prize ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal. PSG also retained Club of the Year for a second consecutive season — yet no Paris player reached the top five, a year after Dembélé won the award outright.
For Nigerian fans tracking African talent in Europe, the voting pattern matters: Ademola Lookman's form at Atalanta keeps him in the conversation, and voter bias toward attackers over midfielders remains real. Vitinha's case proves even Champions League winners can be undervalued if they don't score goals.
Does the Ballon d'Or still reward the best player — or just the best scorer?