The 25-year-old PSG winger did not travel to the ceremony. He is instead booked for surgery on his torn right anterior cruciate ligament, with a report based on L’Équipe pointing to Doha as the probable venue.
Kvaratskhelia finished behind Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi. Kane claimed his first Ballon d’Or. Kvaratskhelia was the highest-placed PSG player on the night, one spot ahead of teammate Ousmane Dembélé.
Champions League Player of the Season
The vote reflected his 2025-26 season, which ended with the ACL rupture on October 20. Kvaratskhelia helped PSG retain the Champions League in 2025-26 and was named the competition’s Player of the Season. PSG won Men’s Club of the Year on the same night, with Kvaratskhelia, Dembélé and Fabián Ruiz all finishing in the top 10.
Injured in a 4-2 win over Barcelona
The injury came at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, October 20. Sky Sports confirmed a full rupture of the right ACL and reported that surgery was being scheduled for the coming days. PSG beat Barcelona 4-2 in the Champions League league phase; Kvaratskhelia did not finish the match.
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He spoke publicly to ESPN in the hours afterwards.
“Why me anyway? I have never missed anything probably I prepared for this game the best I have ever prepared for,” Kvaratskhelia told ESPN.
A standard ACL recovery runs at least nine months, and the L’Équipe-based reporting projects that he will miss the remainder of the 2026-27 campaign.
‘We dedicate it to Kvara’
The same Monday as the ceremony, PSG beat Lyon 2-0 at the Parc des Princes. Head coach Luis Enrique, who stayed with the squad rather than attend the Ballon d’Or, told PSG TV the result was for the absent winger.
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“It’s a very important win and we dedicate it to Kvara,” Luis Enrique said.
Kvaratskhelia is not expected to be available before next summer.
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