Vitinha votes for outsider trio as Ballon d’Or winners: ‘It would be normal’

Vitinha says he would favour “a Parisian” in the Ballon d’Or vote by voting for three Paris Saint-Germain outsiders to win the most prestigious prize in football.

While the likes of Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Rodri are favourites for this year’s award, midfielder Vitinha believes PSG’s Fabian Ruiz, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia or Ousmane Dembele deserve the trophy.

“There are a lot of good players who can win this year,” said the Portugal international, via PSG’s website.

“For me, it would be normal for a PSG player to win it like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after his Champions League season, Ousmane Dembele after his great season or Fabian Ruiz, who has won everything.

“I vote for a Parisian.”

Ballon d’Or 2026: Who are the favourites?

Here’s the top 10 likeliest Ballon d’Or winners according to bookmakers on August 11 2026.

Why Fabian Ruiz, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia could win Ballon d’Or

Midfielder Fabian Ruiz has embellished his trophy cabinet like no other player since 2024, playing a key part in PSG’s consecutive Champions League trophies, as well as EURO 2024 and World Cup 2026 glory for Spain.

Having been the Player of the Season in the Champions League when Paris won their first-ever title in 2024/25, prolific France forward Dembele scored eight times in 13 appearances and was named in the Team of the Season as his side retained their trophy.

Dazzling Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia produced an extraordinary 10 goals and seven assists during the 2025/26 Champions League, succeeding Dembele as organisers’ Player of the Season less than 18 months after his debut for the club.

When is the Ballon d’Or 2026?

The 70th edition of ceremony will take place on October 26 2026 in London. Dembele is the holder.

Super Cup 2026: PSG ‘eager’, says Vitinha

PSG face Europa League holders Aston Villa in the Super Cup in Salzburg on Wednesday, having beaten Tottenham on penalties in last season’s showpiece.

“We are eager to play this game and know it’s not just a win, but a trophy,” Vitinha told UEFA.

“We’ve been making history but we have hunger to do more and we know it’s very difficult to play these types of games. We’re going to take advantage of it.”

PSG vs Aston Villa: When is the Super Cup 2026?

The match starts at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT). In the UK, live coverage is on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with streaming on HBO Max.