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In a recent episode of the Kroos brothers' podcast, 'Einfach mal Luppen', Felix Kroos revealed that during the second leg of Bayern Munich’s Champions League semi-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain, he noted down the words “Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ballon d’Or.” Toni Kroos responded by admitting that he too is a huge admirer of the Georgian star but added one caveat: “He won’t be a world champion.”

The former Real Madrid midfielder made a fair point. The World Cup traditionally plays a major role in Ballon d’Or voting, and Kvaratskhelia will not even have the chance to feature in this summer’s tournament in North America, let alone lift the trophy.

However, should Georgia’s inability to qualify really exclude Kvaratskhelia from consideration? After all, no player has been more influential in this season’s Champions League. If the winger were to deliver another masterclass in dribbling in Saturday’s final against Arsenal, wouldn’t that make him a deserving Ballon d’Or contender regardless?

Supporting Dembele’s campaign

True to his humble nature, Kvaratskhelia has recently spent more time praising Ousmane Dembele’s Ballon d’Or credentials than promoting his own. “Ousmane is an exceptional player. We witnessed that again tonight,” Kvaratskhelia said after Dembele’s brace in PSG’s 2-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on April 14. “He showed why he won last year’s Ballon d’Or and is capable of winning it multiple times.”

Dembele certainly has a legitimate chance to retain his title, especially as the French forward is expected to be a starter for one of the favourites to win this summer’s World Cup.

Yet, it is Kvaratskhelia who has truly been PSG’s standout performer this season – not Dembele. The Georgian winger has arguably played even better during the decisive phase of this campaign than his teammate did in the latter half of the previous one.

A tactical breakthrough

Although the Ballon d’Or now assesses the entire club season, it’s worth recalling that at the start of 2025, Dembele was still viewed as an underperforming talent. Luis Enrique’s decision to move him into a central attacking role unlocked his elite potential.

Suddenly, Dembele transformed from an inconsistent winger into one of the most complete attackers in the Champions League, contributing four goals and five assists in the knockout rounds as PSG claimed their first-ever Champions League title.

In contrast, Kvaratskhelia has remained faithful to his preferred position on the left wing, yet has been central to PSG reaching a second consecutive final.

‘The best player in the world’

No player has directly contributed to more goals in this season’s Champions League than Kvaratskhelia (16), with 10 goals of his own – seven of them in the knockout phase.

The Georgian was outstanding in both legs of the 8-2 aggregate demolition of Chelsea in the round of 16 and claimed his third straight Player of the Match award after another dazzling display in the quarter-final against Liverpool at the Parc des Princes.

However, it was arguably the thrilling 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich in Paris that cemented Kvaratskhelia’s status as one of this year’s top Ballon d’Or contenders.

“Kvaratskhelia is the best player in the world and he’s only going to get better,” Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf said on Amazon Prime after watching the 25-year-old shine brightest among a host of stars. “He carries the team at key moments. I like his intelligence – he knows exactly what to do in every situation. He’s the extra man in midfield and also decisive up front. He’s just unbelievable.”

A player for the big occasion

It has long been evident that Kvaratskhelia is among the most technically gifted footballers today. Napoli fans were so mesmerised by his dribbling that they compared him to their idol, Diego Maradona, within two months of his move from Dinamo Batumi in July 2022.

Manager Luis Enrique enjoys the ‘Kvaradona’ nickname and has admitted to using it himself. However, what he values most about Kvaratskhelia is not his flair but his mentality.

Kvaratskhelia has earned a reputation as a ‘big-game player’. After the winger’s two-goal performance against Nantes on April 22, Enrique jokingly said, “He got confused today – he thought it was a Champions League match!”

Despite the perception that some PSG players save their best for Europe, Kvaratskhelia is not one of them.

“Khvicha has maintained a high level all season,” Enrique stated. “And I’m not referring to his attacking talent – everyone knows about that. I mean his character and defensive work, regardless of the match.”

Enrique’s influence

Kvaratskhelia has admitted that during his time at Napoli, he often neglected his defensive duties. “Since coming to Paris, I’ve improved a lot in that regard and have become a warrior on the pitch,” he told Le Parisien earlier this season. “I always try to give 100 percent, even defensively, and the coach has helped me a lot.”

The Georgian has frequently credited Luis Enrique for his growth over the past 18 months. “It was his humanity that impressed me the most,” Kvaratskhelia told UEFA shortly after joining PSG. “A manager’s role is crucial in a player’s career. When someone calmly explains everything to you, you’re motivated to understand and perform better.

“Luis Enrique makes you feel that you must give everything – for him, the club, and the fans. He treats you with respect and clarity.”

The result of this mutual respect is that Kvaratskhelia has become the complete modern winger – hardworking, technically brilliant, and efficient. When he’s not dribbling past opponents, he’s relentlessly pressing them, making him a constant threat throughout the match.

A deserving contender

In a recent interview, Arsenal legend Ray Parlour identified Kvaratskhelia as the PSG player Mikel Arteta’s men should “worry” about most ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final in Budapest – and rightly so.

Nicknamed ‘The Georgian George Best’, Kvaratskhelia is in extraordinary form. His assist for Dembele in the second-leg draw against Bayern at the Allianz Arena made him the first player in Champions League history to register goal contributions in seven consecutive knockout matches.

If he maintains that form in Budapest, he could very well top the Ballon d’Or rankings heading into the World Cup. Staying there without participating in the tournament would be difficult, depending largely on the performances of his main rivals in North America.

Since non-European players became eligible for the Ballon d’Or in 1995, four of the seven winners in World Cup years have also lifted the trophy: Zinedine Zidane (1998), Ronaldo (2002), Fabio Cannavaro (2006), and Lionel Messi (2023, following the delayed 2022 World Cup). Luka Modric’s 2018 win was largely due to his Golden Ball performance in Russia.

Still, Kvaratskhelia can take heart from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who both won the Ballon d’Or in years when they underperformed or failed to win the World Cup (2010 and 2014 respectively). Their success shows that a World Cup title is not always decisive.

Kvaratskhelia may not yet possess their global stature or popularity, but Toni Kroos could yet be proven wrong. Even without becoming a world champion, the Georgian could still claim the Ballon d’Or. One more inspired display in this season’s Champions League final could make him the most deserving winner of all.