London Ballon d’Or gathering singles out Abdullah Al-Khaibari as Saudi Arabia’s top player

Guests at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony selected Al-Nassr midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari as the player most deserving of being regarded as Saudi Arabia’s best footballer at present.

The awards ceremony, organised by French magazine France Football, was held in London in the early hours of Tuesday morning, 29 October 2026.

Saudi journalist Sharji attended the event on behalf of Thmanyah, the broadcaster of the Roshn Saudi League. He used the occasion to speak to several of the guests gathered in the British capital.

Sharji asked them to choose the leading Saudi player following the national team’s participation in the 2026 World Cup and its success in winning the Arabian Gulf Cup, Khaleeji 27.

The guests largely agreed on Al-Khaibari, who plays in midfield for Al-Nassr. Only one person chose his team-mate, forward Abdullah Al-Hamdan, instead.

One guest jokingly said: “Abdullah Al-Khaibari should have been at the ceremony. In fact, I believe he is bigger than the Ballon d’Or award.”

Al-Khaibari is considered an important member of both Al-Nassr and the Saudi national team. He also played a part in Saudi Arabia’s recent Arabian Gulf Cup triumph, which ended a 23-year wait for the title.