Ballon d'Or 2026: Bacary Sagna Snubs Kylian Mbappe, Tips PSG Star to Win Award

• Former Arsenal and Man City defender Bacary Sagna shared his take on who deserves the Ballon d'Or prize
• Sagna argued that one of PSG's attackers' impacts last season makes him a standout above more prolific goal-scorers
• The ex-France international acknowledged Mbappe's quality but questioned how decisive he was for his team

Bacary Sagna has backed Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to win the Ballon d'Or ahead of fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappe.

Sagna was asked directly whether Mbappe, widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, would be a deserving recipient of the award.

Sagna snubs Mbappe, tips PSG star to win Ballon d'Or

His response was measured but clear: he placed the Real Madrid forward in the top three rather than at the very peak, and reserved his highest praise for the Georgian winger.

"For me, Kvara deserves the Ballon d'Or," Sagna said, as quoted by GOAL.

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"For me, Kvara [Khvicha Kvaratskhelia] has been phenomenal and being a winger, having such an impact and a successful campaign. Apart from winning the Champions League, I think football players will agree that Kvara was the most important player last season."

The former right-back argued that the nature of a striker's role naturally attracts more visibility and public favour through goals, which can skew perceptions of individual worth in award voting.

In his view, Kvaratskhelia's influence as a wide player was more telling precisely because it was harder to achieve and easier to overlook.

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Sagna did not dismiss Mbappe's credentials entirely. He acknowledged that the 2026 World Cup provided the forward with a significant platform, and expressed genuine admiration for the quality on display.

"Of course Kylian had an amazing World Cup, and I was pleased to see him scoring so many goals, not only because he's French but because I love football and when I see him shining the way he's starting the season, that's his standard, that's his level, and he is in the top few players," Sagna said.

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However, the central question he posed was one of collective contribution rather than individual brilliance.

"He might be the top, the best player in the world, but the problem is: how impactful were you for your team last season?" he added, framing team influence as the defining criterion for the award.

Sagna's position is that Mbappe's standing in the game is not in doubt, but that Kvaratskhelia's sustained influence throughout a trophy-winning campaign, combined with the demands of operating as a wide player rather than a centre-forward, tips the balance in the Georgian's favour.

Source: YEN.com.gh