He also said Harry Kane was a deserved Ballon d'Or winner. But Kroos's main point was that Kvaratskhelia should have been much closer to the top after a season that included the treble with Paris Saint Germain last season.
Kroos's case for Kvaratskhelia
"If you only take the season, I would have found a Kvaratskhelia super interesting. That would have been my call," Kroos told SPORT1 in comments translated from German. He added that, in his eyes, Kvaratskhelia was "the best player of the best team in Europe."
Kroos also said Kvaratskhelia ended up sixth in the Ballon d'Or voting, which he saw as evidence that a World Cup year changes the race. Georgia did not qualify for the World Cup in North America, a factor Kroos felt hurt his chances.
The case is not that Kvaratskhelia was ignored outright. He played a decisive role in the Champions League semi-final against FC Bayern on the way to the final, and his season has still been strong enough for Kroos to put him ahead of the rest on personal preference.
The World Cup effect Kroos sees
Kroos did not limit the argument to Kvaratskhelia. He said World Cup performances pushed other contenders higher, including Kane and Lamine, but only Kane is named in the material here as a specific example.
Kane scored 6 World Cup goals in 7 appearances, which gives Kroos's point some weight. Still, the former midfielder is making a narrower argument about how much the tournament should count in a season-long prize.
Kvaratskhelia's club output also fits the same picture. He has 7 appearances for Paris Saint Germain in Ligue 1, while his UEFA Super Cup rating of 8.2 points to at least one standout performance in a busy start to life at the club.
The Ballon d'Or debate will not be settled by Kroos's view alone, but his comments are a reminder that voters do not weigh a season in the same way. In his reading, Kvaratskhelia was the season pick, and the World Cup pushed him down to sixth.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
