Ballon d’Or should go to player who wasn’t even at the World Cup, not Lamine Yamal or Harry Kane

Neither Lamine Yamal nor Harry Kane should win this year’s Ballon d’Or, believes talkSPORT’s Gabby Agbonlahor.

Both players enjoyed fine 2025/26 seasons for their respective clubs, Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively. Yamal starred in Spain’s World Cup triumph while Kane scored six goals as he captained England to the semi-finals.

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But for Agbonlahor, there’s another leading candidate – a player who wasn’t even at the World Cup in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Kane to miss out on first Ballon d’Or?

Joining Shebahn Aherne on Thursday’s talkSPORT Sports Breakfast, Agbonlahor initially earmarked Yamal for a first Ballon d’Or.

Responding to Aherne’s suggestion that Kane was ‘in with a very healthy shout of winning the Ballon d’Or’ for the first time, the former Aston Villa striker said: “Listen, Harry Kane: fantastic season at Bayern Munich, done very well at the World Cup… six goals, two assists, 72 goals in total [for club and country]. But I don’t think he’s going to get it, Shebahn.”

Kane scored a Bayern club-record 58 goals in 2025/26, but falling short at the World Cup could prove costly, feels Agbonlahor.

“I just think, you know, Champions League disappointment, World Cup disappointment… it’s normally a player, if there’s a World Cup in that year, that gets [the Ballon d’Or],” he went on.

“For instance, Rodri won it in 2024 after winning the Euros, and obviously success with Manchester City.

“I look at Lamine Yamal. Listen, won the Euros before; won the World Cup this year; won LaLiga; 45 appearances, 24 goals, 18 assists last season with Barcelona.

“I think he’s my standout of all the players because he won domestically, he played a lot of football and he won the World Cup.

Agbonlahor also played down the chances of Kylian Mbappe, eight-time winner Lionel Messi Rodri before concluding: “I see Yamal picking it up.”

But Agbonlahor then changed his mind to another potential first-time winner of the award given annually to the world’s best player.

“Do you know the player that I would give it to?” he continued. “[Kvicha] Kvaratskhelia.

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When Aherne noted how Kvaratskhelia didn’t play in the World Cup, Agbonlahor replied: “Exactly, but that’s the thing: just because he wasn’t at the World Cup, he can’t get it?

Kvaratskhelia ‘the standout player’

“But if you think about the best player to watch with your two eyes has been Kvaratskhelia all season for PSG.

“He’s been the standout player – more than Lamine Yamal; more than Harry Kane; more than everyone else.”

Asked who he’d choose if he had a vote for the Ballon d’Or, Agbonlahor answered: “Kvaratskhelia. I’d pick him. I think he’s the player that I’ve just enjoyed watching.”

Former Napoli winger Kvaratskhelia was integral to Paris Saint-Germain‘s latest trophy-laden campaign, which culminated in the French giants becoming just the second side in the Champions League era to retain the trophy by beating Arsenal in the final.

The 25-year-old, affectionately known as ‘Kvaradona’, is the captain of the Georgia national team, who featured in their first major tournament at Euro 2024 but have yet to qualify for the World Cup.

The current Ballon d’Or holder is Kvaratskhelia’s PSG teammate Ousmane Dembele.

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The last time two different players from the same club received the award in successive years was when Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, then of Real Madrid, won it in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or will be presented at a ceremony in London on October 26.