Paris Saint-Germain has generated confusion among Fabian Ruiz’s inner circle after the club’s management decided to concentrate its Ballon d’Or promotional campaign on Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, leaving the Spanish midfielder out of the media spotlight.
According to L’Équipe, Paris originally entered the race putting all three players forward as primary candidates before narrowing its support as the voting deadline approached. Those close to Ruiz viewed the move as an inexplicable disregard for his achievements over the past season.
The French club fears vote-splitting among its large number of nominated players. Consequently, selection favored Dembélé—the current holder of the award—and Kvaratskhelia, who was named UEFA Champions League Player of the Season, believing both hold greater media presence and marketing pull to compete against other star forwards.
However, sidelining Ruiz raises eyebrows given his exceptional collection of silverware. He stands as the only player to win both the UEFA Champions League with his club and the FIFA World Cup with his national team in the same season, alongside claiming the Ligue 1 title.
Defending his record, the 30-year-old stated: “In terms of trophies, no player had a better season than mine,” adding: “Winning the World Cup with your country is the ultimate achievement, but making history with Paris in the Champions League was equally unforgettable.”
Fabian made 34 appearances for PSG across all competitions during the 2025–2026 season, contributing 2 goals and 5 assists. He went on to feature in all eight of Spain’s World Cup fixtures, opening the scoring against Belgium in the quarterfinals.
The former Real Betis and Napoli midfielder earned his 50th international cap in the World Cup final, bringing his total tally for La Roja to 7 goals and 11 assists, while maintaining an undefeated record in regulation time in every match he has played.
Ruiz previously finished 24th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings. He enters the 2026 edition backed by a treble-equivalent resume featuring the Champions League, World Cup, and Ligue 1 titles. The final voting results, to be unveiled at the ceremony in London on October 26, will determine the impact of PSG’s decision to leave him off their main campaign push.
