Kvaratskhelia Eyes Ballon d'Or After Champions League Dominance
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, last season's Champions League Player of the Season, returns for PSG in the UEFA Super Cup aiming for a Ballon d'Or challenge. The Georgian winger missed the World Cup, allowing him to recover and prepare for the new season.
Key takeaways
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been named the Champions League Player of the Season.
- He will play in the UEFA Super Cup for PSG after missing the World Cup.
- Kvaratskhelia is now setting his sights on winning the Ballon d'Or.
- He was a key player for PSG's Champions League title defense, with significant goal and assist contributions.
What Happened
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is set to feature for Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, marking his return to club football after missing the World Cup. He was named the Champions League Player of the Season for the previous campaign, in which PSG defended their title.
Why It Matters
Having not participated in the World Cup, Kvaratskhelia enters the new season with renewed energy. He is now aiming to challenge for the Ballon d'Or, a feat not achieved by a player in 22 years who did not feature in a major global or continental tournament.
Background
Kvaratskhelia joined PSG from Napoli last year, making an immediate impact. He was instrumental in PSG's Champions League triumph, being the top scorer from the play-off round onwards and leading in open-play assists. Before his move to PSG, he was a key player in Napoli's Serie A title win, earning the nickname 'Kvaradona'. His playing style is described as unique and difficult to compare to other players in world football. He has a history of performing against British teams, including Aston Villa and Liverpool.
Key Facts
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was the Champions League Player of the Season last season.
- He will participate in the upcoming UEFA Super Cup for PSG against Aston Villa.
- Kvaratskhelia missed the recent World Cup.
- He scored 10 goals and provided six assists in the Champions League last season.
- He scored six goals and provided three assists from the round of 16 to the final in the Champions League.
- He won the penalty that led to Ousmane Dembele's equalizer in the Champions League final.
- He was named PSG's player of the season.
- He previously inspired Napoli to a league title, ending their long wait.
- He scored against Aston Villa in a 2025 Champions League quarter-final first leg.
- He scored against Liverpool in the 2024/25 Champions League round of 16 first leg and provided an assist in the return leg.
- He is currently one of the most exciting and effective attacking wingers.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
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