Vitinha's growing influence at Paris Saint-Germain has been formally recognised by his teammates, who have chosen him to be the deputy to captain Marquinhos. The appointment comes just after Vitinha made his 100th Ligue 1 appearance, cementing his status as a key figure for Luis Enrique's side.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League night in Barcelona belonged to Senny Mayulu and Goncalo Ramos, whose goals sealed a 2-1 win against the Spanish side. Missing Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, PSG leaned on other stars and relentless pressing to stun the Catalans and Luis Enrique labelled three of those players as 'the best in the world', showing his side has the spirit and belief to challenge Europe’s elite.

Wednesday's Champions League clash between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain should have immediately seen the top two players in the 2025 Ballon d'Or vote squaring off against one another. However, while Lamine Yamal has returned to full fitness just in time for the game at Montjuic, Ousmane Dembele will remain sidelined for at least another couple of weeks.

Ousmane Dembele was presented with the Ballon d'Or for 2025 at a typically lavish ceremony in Paris on Monday night, capping a remarkable redemption at Paris Saint-Germain for a player regarded by Barcelona fans as one of the worst signings in the club's history.

Say what you will about the merits of the Ballon d'Or, but last year's ceremony was undeniably dramatic. The event organisers, France Football, have always insisted that "no player or club knows who has won the Ballon d'Or" before the victor is announced on stage - but Real Madrid refused to even turn up after learning hours in advance that Rodri had beaten Vinicius Jr to the men's prize.