Following the World Cup and the conclusion of the club season, there are numerous prominent contenders for the Ballon d’Or. Toni Kroos has now named his personal favorite. Surprisingly, the former German national team player has chosen Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Paris Saint-Germain.
Who will be named the best soccer player of the year? After a season featuring numerous outstanding individual performances and the World Cup, there are several candidates who have legitimate hopes of winning the Ballon d’Or.
In addition to World Cup stars Rodri, Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappé, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is also among the contenders. Toni Kroos, however, would cast his vote for a different player.
The 36-year-old expressed his support on Instagram for PSG’s attacking star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
“For me, he’s the clear number one!”
In the comments section of a post by commentator Florian Malburg, Kroos made it clear that, in his view, the Georgian has had the strongest season. “Kvara probably won’t win it, but for me, he’s the clear number one!” wrote the former Real Madrid star.
Kroos also explained his decision by sharing his assessment of the other top contenders. The four players he considered the standout performers at the World Cup—Rodri, Messi, Bellingham, and Mbappé—had either had a “modest season” at the club level or played in an “insignificant league.”
Kroos thus apparently places greater weight on performances throughout the entire club season than on performances at the World Cup.
Kvaratskhelia, in particular, had plenty to show for his club performances. With Paris Saint-Germain, the 25-year-old won both the French league title and the Champions League.
On a personal level, the Georgian also had an outstanding Champions League season. He tallied ten goals and seven assists. In the Champions League final, he also drew the penalty that led to the temporary 1-1 tie.
Kane also has strong credentials
However, Kvaratskhelia has one decisive disadvantage compared to some of his competitors: He was unable to showcase his talents at the World Cup because Georgia failed to qualify for the tournament.
Rodri, on the other hand, captained Spain to the World Cup title and was also named the tournament’s best player. Messi, Bellingham, and Mbappé also reached at least the semifinals with their national teams.
From Bayern’s perspective, the focus is primarily on Harry Kane. The Englishman also had an extraordinary season and won the double with the German record champions. In addition, he once again secured the Golden Boot as Europe’s top scorer and tallied more than 70 goals across all competitions.
For Kroos, however, that apparently isn’t enough for first place. It’s interesting, though, that even the former national team player doesn’t really expect his personal favorite to actually win the award in the end. By choosing Kvaratskhelia, Kroos is nonetheless sending a clear message against the prominent World Cup stars.