- Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery spoke about the Ballon d’Or race after his side lost the UEFA Super Cup to PSG
- Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring with a brilliant goal as PSG beat Aston Villa to win the Super Cup for the second consecutive time
- Emery revealed his Ballon d’Or pick after the Georgian winger’s performance caught his attention in the final
Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has backed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, making his case following a UEFA Super Cup final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG, winners of the UEFA Champions League, beat Europa League holders Aston Villa in the curtain-raiser to the European season.
Source: Getty Images
Kvaratskhelia gave PSG the lead with a standout goal in the first half, before 17-year-old Brian Madjo pulled Villa level just before the break. Desire Doue then scored the winner in the second half to hand PSG the trophy for the second year running.
The defeat also extended Emery’s losing run in the Super Cup to four finals, having previously come up short as manager of Sevilla and Villarreal, as noted by BR Football.
Emery endorses Kvaratskhelia for Ballon d’Or
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Emery singled out the Georgian winger for special mention after his goal set the tone for Luis Enrique’s side.
“Of course, his impact was fantastic two years ago in Napoli and now at PSG,” Emery told TNT Sports.
“Today, he scored a fantastic goal. He scored a goal like he usually scores. We tried to avoid it, but his quality of shooting is really fantastic.”
Beyond the compliment on his finish, Emery went further, saying the winger deserves the game’s most prestigious individual award.
“For me, it’s not my decision, but I think he can win this trophy (Ballon d’Or),” he added.
Kvaratskhelia played a major role in PSG’s Champions League triumph last season, cementing his reputation as one of the best wingers in the world.
Despite Emery’s endorsement, the Georgian’s chances in the Ballon d’Or race remain complicated. Georgia failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and many observers believe his absence from the tournament could count heavily against him when voters make their final decisions.
Updated Ballon d’Or rankings
Legit.ng previously reported the updated Ballon d’Or rankings after Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa to win the 2026 UEFA Super Cup final.
Ousmane Dembele had an upward turn in his chances of winning the award for the second consecutive time, but remained behind Harry Kane.
Source: Legit.ng