Fabian Ruiz and Mbappé: Is the 2026 Ballon d'Or race being decided by trophies rather than performances?

When the Champions League final whistle faded, the atmosphere in Europe still echoed. But the 2026 Ballon d'Or race waits for no one. Bixente Lizarazu, former World Cup-winning defender with France in 2026, has just made a statement that could shift the conversation: Fabian Ruiz, a midfielder wearing the Spain national team shirt, is the most deserving name for world football's highest individual honour. Lizarazu's argument is not about artistic touches or dazzling stats. He mentioned only two words: trophies. Ruiz just won the Champions League and the World Cup in the same year — a historic double any player dreams of.

In a deep analysis of this view, pundits immediately noticed a gap: no tactical data was presented to prove Ruiz was the best player. The reader only knows his position as midfielder and that his team won. No key passes, no successful duel rate, no heat map or pressing numbers. That turns the debate into a comparison of trophy cabinets, not on-field performances.

Is Lizarazu's approach reasonable? In Ballon d'Or history, major trophies have always been a launchpad. But that logic becomes paradoxical from an individual perspective. If a team wins because of a collective effort, why is only one person honoured? Moreover, a midfielder can be central to the playing style, but his contribution is often more invisible than a striker who scores goals. Thus, giving the Ballon d'Or to a midfielder because he has cups is a way to celebrate team stability while blurring the line between collective and individual.

Kylian Mbappé appears in this story as a counter-example. If Mbappé had an explosive year with dozens of goals, but his club failed to win a major trophy, would he be excluded simply for lacking silverware? The original article offers no answer. Readers only know Mbappé is placed alongside Ruiz as an opposite case, without direct comparable numbers. This is exactly the blind spot in such debates: they rely not on actual performance but on what someone else tells.

In modern football, fans are increasingly smart. They need to see how a player handles pressure, how he creates space, and how he turns the game in his team's favour. All of that lies beyond the scoreboard. Lizarazu has every right to prioritise trophies, but if the Ballon d'Or organisers listened to him, they ought to rename the award Player of the Cups.

There is a reason midfielders are rarely mentioned in individual votes. They do not score as regularly as forwards, nor make saves like goalkeepers. They are the glue of a team. Fabian Ruiz was that glue throughout Spain's and his club's title-winning campaigns. If anyone wants to award him the Ballon d'Or, they should describe exactly what that glue looks like: passing rhythm, ability to turn under pressure, tactical vision. One cannot call him the best simply because he stood in the same squad as winners.

In the coming weeks, the Ballon d'Or race will heat up. Lizarazu has chosen the trophy side. The other side can choose the performance side. The question is not who has more cups, but who changed matches more. Football has always been written by moments, not by trophy lists. Fabian Ruiz deserves to be mentioned, but the most deserving might be the one who did more than a trophy could reflect.