Ballon d'Or 2026: Toni Kroos reveals his favorite

With the Ballon d'Or winner to be announced in a few months, Toni Kroos already has a clear idea of who he believes deserves to succeed last year's winner. The former Real Madrid midfielder has chosen Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whom he considers the most outstanding player of the past season.

In an Instagram post, the former German international acknowledged that his choice might surprise some. "It's probably not the most obvious choice," he admitted, before fully stating his opinion: "He's number 1 for me."

For Kroos, club performances should carry significant weight in the race for the trophy. He believes that several stars who made their mark at the World Cup, such as Rodri, Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappé, haven't shone brightly enough for their respective national teams to surpass Kvaratskhelia.

The former Real Madrid player is full of praise for the Georgian striker of Paris Saint-Germain. He describes him as the "best player of last season" and believes that he now plays for "the best club team in the world".

The Georgian's statistics also speak in his favor. Kvaratskhelia finished the season with 19 goals and 11 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions for PSG. In the Champions League, his influence was even more significant, with 10 goals and 7 assists in 16 matches.

His impact in major European matches also strengthens his candidacy. Kvaratskhelia was particularly decisive during the knockout stages against Monaco, Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

Toni Kroos's support thus constitutes a new argument in favor of the Parisian, who is among the serious contenders for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The suspense will end on October 26 in London, the date on which the name of the successor to the last winner will be revealed.