Mourinho and Enrique take opposing sides in 2026 Ballon d’Or debate

Luis Enrique believes the 2026 Ballon d’Or should be won by a Paris Saint-Germain player, directly challenging Jose Mourinho’s view that the award should not automatically go to a member of the French club or Spain’s World Cup-winning squad.

The winner of football’s most prestigious individual prize will be announced in London on 26 October. Several Paris Saint-Germain players are among the leading contenders after the club completed an exceptional season by winning the UEFA Champions League for a second successive campaign.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Fabian Ruiz are all regarded as potential candidates. Ruiz has strengthened his case by helping Spain win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Dembele won the Ballon d’Or last season.

Speaking at the news conference before Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 meeting with Monaco, Enrique said: “I’m not interested in knowing who will win the Ballon d’Or, but in my opinion the winner should be a Paris Saint-Germain player.”

The Spanish coach added, according to RMC: “We have everything. We have players who have all won the Champions League, Fabian Ruiz who won the World Cup, and Ousmane Dembele who won the Ballon d’Or last season. So, for me, the winner should be from Paris Saint-Germain. That is my opinion, and perhaps I am wrong.”

Enrique’s comments come as the competition for the award intensifies. Other prominent names linked with the prize include Kylian Mbappe, who produced an outstanding individual performance at the 2026 World Cup, as well as Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Rodri and Michael Olise.

The Paris Saint-Germain manager was responding to remarks made by Mourinho, the Real Madrid manager, who has argued that this year’s Ballon d’Or winner should not necessarily come from Paris Saint-Germain or Spain.

Mourinho discussed the award at a news conference last Saturday ahead of Real Madrid’s match against Malaga, which was played on Sunday.

“It is a wonderful award on an individual level. This prize enters the personal history of a particular player. There are about 12 players at a very high level, and we have three or four of them at Real Madrid,” said Mourinho.

“For me, the Ballon d’Or should go to those players whose absence we feel forever when they retire. I miss Maradona, (Ronaldo) Nazario, Messi, Zidane and Matthaus. You cannot give the Ballon d’Or to players simply because they have won the Champions League or the World Cup. If you want to reward the Champions League winner, give the Ballon d’Or to Luis Enrique.”

He added: “For Spain, De la Fuente certainly deserves it. That is the greatest honour. Being the best in the world is something else; it should not be someone from Paris Saint-Germain or Spain. There are two, three or four, and we know who they are. We know where they are; they are here. We know who made history individually this summer.”

Although Mourinho did not identify a specific player, reports have suggested that he is backing his French player Mbappe. The forward became the leading goalscorer in World Cup history with 22 goals during this year’s tournament.

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