The list of 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has been released. As always, there are its share of surprises, notably the absence of Désiré Doué, who nevertheless shone with PSG in their quest for a second Champions League last spring. The choice to have left aside the 14th of last year surprises, and even scandalizes Jérôme Rothen on the airwaves of RMC. “ Either they have shit in their eyesor they don’t watch the matches, calls out the consultant, very upset. When you see PSG’s campaign last year, if Désiré Doué had been average, do you think he would have played all the important matches? Luis Enrique would have withdrawn it, especially with the competition. Doué has always played the important matches. Watch Doué’s matches up to the Champions League final, it’s very often he who makes the difference. In the half and the final, he was one of the best players. »
The absence of the Golden Boy 2025 raises questions all the more as certain names present in this list do not have their place according to the former left midfielder of PSG. Without mentioning them, Rothen is probably thinking of the presence of the Senegalese Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr) and the Mexican Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah FC). “ Do you take it off the list of 30 and put some in?he asks. At times, he makes superfluous gestures. Why does he have them? When you feel on top, sometimes you want to treat yourself. You’re going to try a complicated move. That doesn’t mean he’s got a big head and that makes him a bad guy. Against Rennes, PSG got by thanks to Ferran Torres but fortunately Désiré Doué was there. He was the only one with legs. Why did it disappear from the list? » He could always console himself with Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Achraf Hakimi, Fabian Ruiz, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Marquinhos, Joao Neves and Willian Pacho, are named, and even Ferran Torres.
