Luis Enrique calls for Vitinha to be rated higher after Ballon d’Or drop

Vitinha finished third in the 2025 Ballon d’Or after an outstanding season, but the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder slipped to 14th in the final standings this year.

The Portugal international was placed behind Rodri in fourth, Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Fabian Ruiz in 10th, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham in 11th, Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi in 12th and Achraf Hakimi in 13th.

However, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique believes Vitinha deserved greater recognition in the voting, according to French outlet Foot Mercato.

“No, it does not impress me because I know him very well,” Enrique said. “What he adds to the team is completely different. It is always a pleasure to have a player with these technical and physical qualities.”

The Paris Saint-Germain manager was particularly emphatic in his assessment of the midfielder’s ability.

“He is incredibly talented,” Enrique added. “I am very happy to have a player of this level, and he deserves a better ranking in the Ballon d’Or.”

Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career. The Bayern Munich striker finished ahead of Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, who was second, and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, who took third place.