Toni Kroos has named a surprising candidate as his favorite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.
If it were up to the former Real Madrid star, football’s most prestigious individual award would once again go to a Paris Saint-Germain player. However, unlike last year, when Ousmane Dembélé won the award, Kroos would give it to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia this time.
“Kvara probably won’t win it, but for me, he is clearly number one,” wrote the 2014 World Cup winner in the comments section of an Instagram post by commentator Florian Malburg.
Kroos also rates players such as Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Rodri highly, but believes their chances are lower because of what he considers a “modest season” or a “less significant league,” respectively.
Kvaratskhelia, on the other hand, can look back on an outstanding season with PSG. The Georgian winger once again won the French league title with the Parisian club and also lifted the Champions League trophy.
The winger was particularly impressive in Europe’s elite competition, recording 10 goals and seven assists from the opening match of the league phase all the way through to the final victory over Arsenal.
At international level, however, the year was disappointing for the 25-year-old. Georgia failed to qualify for the World Cup, meaning Kvaratskhelia will have to watch the tournament in North America from home.
Nevertheless, although almost everyone sees the PSG star as a Ballon d’Or contender, he is rarely mentioned among the leading favorites.
Among those considered more likely to win are Rodri, the world champion, record-holder Lionel Messi, and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who scored an impressive 72 goals in competitive matches and won the Golden Boot for his achievement.
