Ballon d'or 2026: Blaise Matuidi has already picked his winner

Blaise Matuidi already has his sights set on the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner.

For the 2025 edition, Vitinha finished in third place for the Ballon d'Or. And after a dazzling display this Wednesday against Tottenham in the Champions League—where he netted a hat-trick—Blaise Matuidi believes that the Portuguese midfielder could claim this individual honor in the future.

"It feels like he’ll never stop improving. At 25, he hasn’t even reached his prime yet. I don’t see any limits for him. So potentially, just like Luka Modric had a brilliant season and won the Ballon d'Or, Vitinha is capable of doing the same. For a midfielder like him, he'll naturally rely more on the team around him than a striker would, but he absolutely has what it takes. I don’t think it’s something he dwells on, though. From what I see, Vitinha always puts the team first, he’s focused on collective success. But his qualities speak for themselves. That’s what makes him such a unique player," the Frenchman told L'Equipe on Friday.

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.