Vitinha backs PSG trio for 2025-26 Ballon d’Or

Vitinha has backed three Paris Saint-Germain players to win the 2025-26 Ballon d’Or, saying his choice for the world’s best player award will come from the Champions League winners.

The Portugal midfielder named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Fabian Ruiz as his three leading candidates ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Super Cup meeting with Aston Villa.

“There are many outstanding players who could win the Ballon d’Or this year,” Vitinha said before Wednesday’s match.

“For me, I think the winner will usually be a Paris Saint-Germain player, such as Kvaratskhelia after his outstanding season in the Champions League, or Ousmane Dembele after his excellent campaign, or Fabian Ruiz, who won all the trophies.”

Vitinha said the award should be decided between those three Paris Saint-Germain players, while also acknowledging the claims of England captain Harry Kane and former PSG forward Kylian Mbappe.

“For me, the choice will be between these three, but there are many outstanding players such as Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappe,” he added.

“I will vote for a Parisian player to win the Ballon d’Or.”

Paris Saint-Germain retained the Champions League for a second successive season after beating Arsenal on penalties. They will now face Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup at Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday evening.

Vitinha said the squad had been able to recover after the World Cup and was ready to return to competitive action.

“We had time to rest after the World Cup, and we are ready to play matches. We have to get into the atmosphere of the game. Our focus is on Wednesday’s Super Cup match,” he said.

The midfielder recognised the challenge posed by Aston Villa but stressed the significance of the opportunity to compete for another major trophy.

“We know how difficult the match will be, but we know that the Super Cup is a game we rarely have the chance to play during our careers,” Vitinha said.

Paris Saint-Germain will be seeking to add to the success that saw them claim the Champions League for a second year in a row. Their victory over Arsenal, secured in a penalty shootout, set up the meeting with Aston Villa in Salzburg.

Vitinha also explained that the team’s ambition had not changed after its success last season. He said the players remained determined to win more silverware, despite the demands of attempting to continue their run of success.

“As last year, we were hungry for trophies, we wanted to win more titles and more cups. It is no different this year. It will be difficult, but we want to do our very best to win more,” he said.

The Portuguese international’s comments make clear his belief that Paris Saint-Germain’s performances should be rewarded when the Ballon d’Or is decided, with Kvaratskhelia, Dembele and Ruiz all receiving his support.