Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique talking during a press conference
Luis Enrique has made a surprising pick for this year's Ballon d'Or and snubbed the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Rodri.
The Paris Saint-Germain boss has coached all three players during his managerial career, and the trio is among the favorites to win the prestigious award. His time working with Messi at Barcelona was inevitably hugely successful, picking up nine trophies, including a historic continental treble.
Mbappe's last season at PSG came under Enrique, and he bagged 44 goals and 10 assists in 48 games before heading to Real Madrid. Before the Spaniard took the reins at the Parc des Princes, he spent a brief spell in charge of Spain's national team, and he often turned to Rodri in midfield.
The trio were standout performers at this summer's World Cup, with Rodri winning the Golden Ball after captaining his country to glory. Mbappe won the Golden Boot as France finished fourth, and Messi agonisingly missed out on a second World Cup in a row despite rolling back the years with inspired performances.
Luis Enrique Makes Surprising Ballon d'Or Pick
paris saint-germain luis enrique
The current holder of the Ballon d'Or is Ousmane Dembele, who has been a talisman under Enrique. The French winger played a key role in PSG's history-making 2025-26 season, helping them win a joint-record five trophies.
Enrique thinks Dembele should hand the award over to his PSG teammate when the ceremony takes place in London on October 26th. He told Spanish newspaper SPORT: "(Fabian Ruiz) won the World Cup, the European Championship two years ago, the Champions League twice in a row, and the Nations League... the Ballon d'Or! The Ballon d'Or for sure!"
Fabian Ruiz has been one of the biggest improvements at PSG since Enrique's appointment back in July 2023. He is one of the Spanish coach's favourites, pulling the strings in the middle of the park alongside Vitinha and Joao Neves.
Enrique's captain Marquinhos agreed with his manager, adding: "All that is missing is the Ballon d'Or, that's it."
REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
Ruiz has been sweeping up trophies in recent years and last season he won the Ligue 1 title, the Champions League, the Intercontinental Cup, and the Trophee des Champions. With Spain, he became a world champion, adding to the European Championship he won back in 2024.
Now 30, the midfielder is starting to earn recognition for his exploits in the French capital and on the international stage. His club awarded him a new three-year contract earlier this summer, which includes the option to extend for a further year.
Will Fabian Ruiz Win The Ballon d'Or?
REUTERS/Andrew Boyers
Ruiz isn't among the frontrunners to win the Ballon d'Or despite Enrique's glowing endorsement of the Spanish star. While he is enjoying consistent trophy success, he isn't quite the beating heart of the PSG team.
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Metric Ligue 1 Overall (All Comps)
Appearances 20 35
Goals 1 2
Assists 4 5
Yellow Cards 1 3
Red Cards 0 0
Stats courtesy of Transfermarkt - correct as of 12/08/2026
Nor the Spain side, who won a second World Cup this summer, as he came in and out of Luis de la Fuente's team. He's undoubtedly one of the most highly-admired midfielders in world football but if a La Roja star is to win the award,, it will likely be Rodri or Lamine Yamal.
Ballon d'Or Power Rankings
Ballon d'Or Power Rankings
Others in contention include Harry Kane, who broke goalscoring records for Bayern Munich en route to another Bundesliga win. Messi is in with a shout of winning a record-extending ninth Ballon d'Or, although playing in the MLS will be factored in.