Achraf Hakimi calls for a collective Ballon d'Or win after Manchester City-PSG
Following the longlist for the Ballon d'Or 2026, Achraf Hakimi said on 14 October 2026 that he favors team titles and hopes a PSG player wins the award.
Key takeaways
- Achraf Hakimi, Paris Saint-Germain defender, is among the 30 players preselected for the Ballon d'Or 2026.
- The 30-man list includes ten players from Paris Saint-Germain, Hakimi recalls.
- Hakimi said, after PSG's 4-2 win over Manchester City on 14 October 2026, that he favors team titles over an obsession with the Ballon d'Or.
- Hakimi indicated that he hopes a PSG player will win the Ballon d'Or and that this success will be celebrated with the supporters.
- Last season Hakimi finished sixth in the Ballon d'Or ranking; the previous edition was won by Ousmane Dembélé.]
- FAQ:
- Poll: If you had to pick, which Parisian has the best chance to win the Ballon d'Or 2026? / Achraf Hakimi | Another PSG player | A player from another club | I don't know
Match sheet
Manchester City 2 – 4 Paris Saint-Germain
· Ligue des champions · League Phase · Etihad Stadium
- 13' Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain) — goal
- 15' Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain) — goal
- 32' Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain) — goal
- 53' Erling Haaland (Manchester City) — goal
- 61' Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City) — yellow card
- 62' Maghnes Akliouche (Paris Saint-Germain) — goal
- 69' Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain) — yellow card
- 75' Erling Haaland (Manchester City) — goal
Standings Ligue des champions : 1er, 9 pts (3 j.)
The Moroccan right-back Achraf Hakimi, a Paris Saint-Germain player, commented on 14 October 2026 on the controversy surrounding the Ballon d'Or 2026 longlist, after PSG's 4-2 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
A message aimed at the press
Hakimi recalled that he is among the thirty players shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or 2026 and that the list includes ten players from the same club, Paris Saint-Germain. He said he hoped first and foremost to see a player from the club win the trophy and celebrate this success with the supporters and the squad.
Between individual ambition and priority on titles
On the question of his personal ambitions, Achraf Hakimi acknowledged that the Ballon d'Or is a prestigious award that every player wants to win. He clarified, however, that he does not want to make it an obsession and that, for him, the essential thing remains winning titles collectively with the club.
Your questions, our answers
Q: Who spoke and when?
Achraf Hakimi, Paris Saint-Germain defender, made these remarks after the Manchester City-Paris Saint-Germain match on Wednesday, 14 October 2026.
Q: What does Hakimi want regarding the Ballon d'Or 2026?
He wants a Paris Saint-Germain player to win Ballon d'Or 2026 and prefers that the press chase titles rather than turning personal awards into an obsession.
Q: How many PSG players are on the 30-candidate list?
The Ballon d'Or 2026 longlist includes ten Paris Saint-Germain players.