The Ballon d’Or ceremony—one of the most prestigious individual honors in world football—took place in London. Following the vote, PSG and Georgia national team winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia finished in sixth place, finishing ahead of last year’s winner Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland, Michael Olise, and Fabián Ruiz.
The Ballon d’Or itself was awarded to England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who finished ahead of Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, and Lionel Messi.
The ceremony also honored the football club of the year, with the accolade going to PSG, the team Kvaratskhelia plays for.
Concurrently with the ceremony, the Parisian side contested a French league match, defeating Lyon 2–0. Head coach Luis Enrique dedicated the victory to his Georgian player:
“It is tough for me as a coach, but I love this character and this mentality. This is a very important victory, and we dedicate it to Kvara.”
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was not in attendance at the Ballon d’Or ceremony due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to his right knee sustained in a match against Barcelona on October 20.
No further updates on the Georgian player’s health are available at this time. It was previously reported that the athlete faces surgery, followed by an extensive rehabilitation period of 6 to 9 months.
Last season, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won the UEFA Champions League and was named the tournament’s player of the season. Alongside PSG, he also clinched the French championship, the UEFA Super Cup, and the French Super Cup.