Kvaratskhelia: To be among the contenders for the Ballon d'Or is already a huge achievement

The winger of Paris Saint-Germain and the leader of the Georgian national team Hvicha Kvaratskhelia commented on his inclusion in the list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or. The winner of the award for the best player in the world will be announced on October 26. The 25-year-old football player, who was recognized as the best player of the Champions League for the 2025/26 season, emphasized that it is a great honor for him to represent his homeland among the world's elite: "Being among the contenders for the Golden Ball is already a huge achievement. I feel that I have done something special over the last year, I am very happy, and we will see. I am happy to represent Georgia. I want the children to know that even if you are from a small country, you are capable of reaching such heights," said Kvaratskhelia. On Friday, the Georgian national team will meet in the League of Nations with Northern Ireland - the smallest country in terms of population, whose representative won the prestigious trophy (George Best in 1968). Kvaratzhelia reacted to the frequent comparisons with the legendary Northern Irishman: What about George Best? Of course I know his story. Some people have told me a long time ago that my playing style resembles his. Not sure about this, because he was one of the best in the history of football, but such a comparison is very pleasant for me, and I am proud of it," the Georgian emphasized. Northern Ireland head coach Michael O'Neill also drew a parallel between Best's impact on his country and Kvaratzhelia's importance to Georgia: "George Best is a cult figure, and we are honored that he is from Northern Ireland. Now in Georgia, the situation is similar with Kvaratskhelia. He is a world-class player who was the best in the Champions League last season. We need to pay special attention to him: such footballers are able to decide the fate of the episode in one second and lead the team behind them," said the manager. At the same time, the coach of the Georgian national team, Willy Sanyol, separately noted the modesty of his leader against the background of modern trends in football. "In recent weeks, I have heard too many statements from different players like 'I am the best in the world'. Hvicha never allows himself to do that and I am proud to coach him. He is not only a fantastic footballer, but also an outstanding individual who always puts the interests of the team before his own," concluded Sagnol. It will be recalled that Georgia will start its performance in the League of Nations against Northern Ireland (September 25), after which it will play against Ukraine (September 28), Hungary (October 2) and again with the Irish (October 5).