Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe tipped to be beaten to Ballon d’Or by Champions League winner

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been tipped to be this year’s surprise Ballon d’Or winner, ahead of Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.

Kane and Mbappe are among the frontrunners to claim football’s biggest individual prize after the pair enjoyed stunning years for both club and country respectively.

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After a record-breaking 61-goal campaign for Bayern Munich, Kane backed up his claim for the prestigious award by firing in six goals for England at this summer’s World Cup.

But he faces stiff competition here, with France megastar Mbappe joined in the running by World Cup winner Lamine Yamal.

With the competition having a major bearing on the Ballon d’Or in recent years, Kane’s England teammate Jude Bellingham and football icon Lionel Messi have also entered the fold off the back of standout summers, battling it out for the Golden Boot.

Kvaradona for the win?

With World Cup stars dominating the Ballon d’Or conversation, European football expert Andy Brassell has instead pointed to a player who played no part in North America this summer.

He called Paris Saint-Germain forward Kvaratskhelia a real contender for the award, pointing to his stunning campaign at club level.

The Georgian played a major role as PSG clinched back-to-back Champions League crowns in May, by beating Arsenal in the final.

Kvaratskhelia registered 17 goal contributions in 16 European games last term, which saw him named the 2025/26 Champions League Player of the Season for the first time in his career.

And Brassell believes his stunning performances in club football’s biggest competition place him among the world’s very best.

Discussing Kvaratskhelia on the Trans Euro Express, Brassell said: “If not the best in the world, really close

“I think to have that amount of ability on the ball, to bring it to bear usefully for the team and to do as much as he does without the ball, what more could you want from a football player?

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“He’s got it all, and he’s still only 25.”

Brassell then tipped Kvaratskhelia as a major Ballon d’Or candidate, insisting his chances have been boosted after other favourites failed to take their chance this summer.

Victory in either of club or international football’s biggest tournaments can be decisive in securing the individual award.

But with the likes of Kane, Mbappe, Messi and Bellingham missing out on World Cup glory, Brassell believes the conversation then moves back to the Champions League, where Kvaratskhelia reigned supreme.

He continued: “In terms of the Ballon d’Or, there’s a chance because none of the players who could have made it theirs did.

“If Argentina win the World Cup final, Messi wins it. If England win it, then either (Harry) Kane or maybe (Jude) Bellingham win it. 

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“If France win it, then Mbappe’s got a case, and maybe a little side chance of Michael Olise. But none of those things came to pass.

“So eyes go back to the Champions League, and who was the best player in the Champions League last season?”

‘He’s been the standout player’

Brassell isn’t alone in tipping Kvaratskhelia to win the Ballon d’Or – talkSPORT’s Gabby Agbonlahor made a similar case in July.

The former Aston Villa hero insisted the 25-year-old has had a bigger impact than other contenders, insisting World Cup winner Yamal and Kane were less decisive for their respective teams.

Agbonlahor told talkSPORT: “Do you know the player that I would give it to? [Kvicha] Kvaratskhelia.

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

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