This is probably one of the big surprises of this 2026 Ballon d’Or list. While PSG places a record number of players among the nominees, two of its young stars are nevertheless missing. Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué are not among the contenders for the individual trophy, despite a particularly consistent season with the capital club. For Doué, the record is even quite crazy with 28 starts, 13 goals and 8 assists with Paris, or 21 decisive contributions. The French winger also added 3 goals and 2 assists with the Blues. Figures which take on even more weight when we recall that he often had to deal with XXL competition in the Parisian offensive sector. The available data notably confirms his importance in the Champions League, with 2 goals and 4 assists in 16 appearances in the European campaign.
Perhaps the most surprising thing is what the numbers tell us beyond the goals and assists. Doué is the player who covers the most kilometers per match at PSG in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League, proof of his enormous investment in pressing, withdrawals and offensive runs. The absence of Barcola (13 goals) is also striking, especially in a team which has just retained its European crown. In a team that has once again won the C1, seeing two such important players remain completely outside the list is therefore perplexing. Especially since PSG has, according to the latest information, no less than ten named players, a historic record for a single club.
