Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique defended midfielder Vitinha after the Portuguese star finished fourteenth in the 2026 Ballon d'Or rankings. Enrique insisted Vitinha deserved a far higher spot given his exceptional technical impact.
Vitinha drops down Ballon d'Or standings
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha finished 14th in the 2026 Ballon d'Or rankings, sliding down after claiming a podium third-place finish in 2025. The 26-year-old playmaker ended behind Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, who won the award, as well as team-mate Achraf Hakimi in 13th.
Vitinha remains central to PSG's midfield after leading the club to back-to-back Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026.
Despite his lower placement, manager Luis Enrique launched a passionate defense of his key midfielder.
Enrique hails Portuguese maestro's unique technical qualities
Speaking ahead of PSG's Ligue 1 clash against Le Havre, Enrique expressed dissatisfaction with where Vitinha was placed by voters. "We know him well, so we’re not surprised. It’s a real pleasure to have a player with such technical and physical ability," Enrique stated.
"His level is incredible. We’re very pleased to have a player of his calibre, even though he wasn’t ranked as highly as he deserves to be in the Ballon d’Or rankings."
"He is incredibly talented... he deserves a better ranking in the Ballon d'Or award," Enrique added.
Midfield orchestrator remains vital to Paris setup
Vitinha's work rate, press resistance, and playmaking ability have made him an indispensable component of Enrique's system.
Since arriving from Porto in June 2022, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee has collected four Ligue 1 titles and two Coupes de France.
He also earned inclusion in the FIFPRO World 11 in 2025 following a historic continental treble.
Vitinha focuses on domestic and European pursuit
Vitinha turns his full focus back to on-field duties as PSG aim to widen their lead at the top of Ligue 1.
The Portuguese international is expected to start against Le Havre at Stade Oceane.
Enrique expects his midfield leader to maintain his outstanding level of performance.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
