PSG defend Ballon d'Or approach after Kvaratskhelia 6th, Dembélé 7th

📰 PSG have hit back at criticism of their Ballon d'Or campaign after none of their players reached the podium. 📌 Key points 🏆 Kvaratskhelia was PSG's best-placed player in sixth. 📉 Holder Dembélé finished seventh and Fabián Ruiz tenth. 🗞️ France Football's editor said PSG's message was not clear. 🛡️ PSG say the collective comes before individuals. 🏅 PSG were named club of the year at the same ceremony. 📝 What happened 🏆 At the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on 26 October, PSG won club of the year but had nobody on the individual podium. Kvaratskhelia was their top player in sixth, last year's winner Dembélé was seventh and Fabián Ruiz tenth. 🗞️ Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of organisers France Football, told L'Équipe du Soir that PSG promoted three players and then two, which was not very clear. He said they should have backed one player, and that it should have been the holder, Ousmane Dembélé. 🛡️ PSG told Le Parisien on 27 October that they fully stand by their choice. Under the club's collective-first policy they could not pick one of the three, and pushing a single player risked jealousy and imbalance in the squad. 🔄 The club added that, as with Dembélé last year, it would back one player if he emerged as the clear favourite. 📊 By the numbers • PSG rankings: Kvaratskhelia 6th, Dembélé 7th, Ruiz 10th, Hakimi 13th, Vitinha 14th • Pacho 20th, Mendes 23rd and Marquinhos 25th made it eight PSG players • The award went to Bayern Munich's Harry Kane 🔭 Why it matters The double European champions leaving empty-handed puts PSG's 'team before stars' philosophy under scrutiny. With Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé both injured, PSG play at Le Havre on 30 October.