A football genius, excellent with Manchester City since last season, but irregular in the French team (especially during the 2026 World Cup), Rayan Cherki, 24, is not yet one of the best players in the world. Unsurprisingly, the OL-trained dribbler is not among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. The identity of the winner of the season will be revealed next Monday in London and there is total uncertainty regarding the identity of the winner.
But Cherki has the talent to be crowned Ballon d’Or in the coming years, as Nigel Reo-Coker, the former West Ham or Aston Villa midfielder, proclaims after the Cityzens’ victory against Liverpool (0-3) on Sunday at Anfield. The French number 10 scored his team’s third goal after a devastating hook in front of Jeremie Frimpong…
Cherki transformed by Zidane?
“We are seeing a future Ballon d’Or. He has all the qualities and attributes. I like players with character and he has personality. Football needs more Rayan Cherki and fewer robots. For me, he is the player you come to see play, he shows what he is. I think he can do it at City, he has the talent, now he can do it in the national team, with his idol who is his coach, Zinedine Zidane, who can take him to the next level.”thus launches the Englishman Nigel Reo-Coker on the CBS set.
If Manchester City, the broad leader of the English championship, returns to success in the Champions League, Rayan Cherki could indeed claim the individual Holy Grail. The Lyonnais is one of Manchester City’s stars alongside Norwegian striker Erling Haaland. He is especially considered as an essential piece for the Blues by Zinédine Zidane. Didier Deschamps’ successor installed him at the heart of the game, in a right relay position which allows him to play close to the zone of truth.
