2026 Ballon d'Or nominees: France Football explains the omissions of Désiré Doué and Barcola

People have been wondering about this since the 30-man shortlist was announced yesterday. Now, we have the answer.

In recent hours, France Football has detailed its reasoning regarding the two French forwards, Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola. Speaking to L’Équipe, the magazine's editor-in-chief, Vincent Garcia, cited their "interchangeable status—both at club level and with the national team"—as well as a "lack of consistency over the course of a season that saw an alternation between good spells and time spent on the bench."

Ultimately, the competition between the two French players worked against their individual bids. Speaking on the show *L’Équipe de Greg*, France Football journalist Olivier Bossard provided further details on the voting process.

"Barcola received very few votes, whereas for Désiré Doué, it was practically a 50-50 split. Désiré Doué finished 31st or 32nd on the list—he was right on the cusp. Some tried to get him included right up to the last minute. However, those who didn't vote for him ultimately felt that the competition—specifically with Barcola—had worked against him. It was a case of 'sometimes Barcola, sometimes him.' With the national team, it seemed like Doué had the edge initially, but in the end, Barcola performed better and was used more frequently by Deschamps at the crucial moment. (...) You have to make a real impact to make this list, and the feeling was that he hadn't done so as effectively as the previous season and had struggled a bit to adjust," he explained.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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