Ballon d’Or countdown in London: three favorites named
Twenty‑four days before the Ballon d’Or gala, the ceremony will be held this year in London on October 26. Several contenders are already in the running to succeed Ousmane Dembélé, who won the trophy last year.
The three contenders according to Christophe Galtier
The former Paris Saint‑Germain coach, now at Neom in Saudi Arabia, has named Fabian Ruiz, Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as the only ones capable of winning the award. “If we look at the trophies won, I would name Fabian Ruiz,” Galtier told Le Parisien.
He added that, despite a limited number of minutes, Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia had been very impressive in the recent matches. “One of these three players deserves to win the Ballon d’Or,” he asserted.
Spanish legend wants PSG to take Fabián Ruiz to the Ballon d'Or
For Galtier, the Spanish player stands out: “If there is one player who makes the team so well‑drilled, it’s him. He sees everything before the others, he covers the runs, he feels the football.”
The vote of the former PSG coach, now based in Neom, could influence the debates in Paris and beyond, as observers scrutinise the performances of the three candidates ahead of the award ceremony.