Fabian Ruiz's Ballon d'Or Case After World Cup and Champions League Triumph

Fabian Ruiz is not whispering his Ballon d'Or ambitions. He is spelling them out.

Fresh from a season in which he lifted both the World Cup with Spain and the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, the midfielder believes his name belongs firmly in the debate for football’s biggest individual prize – even after a three‑month knee injury interrupted his campaign.

“In terms of titles, no one has had a better season than me,” he told L’Equipe, laying down his marker. “Individually, great players have had an excellent season. A World Cup with your country is the biggest title you can win.”

Ruiz leans on that trophy haul as his strongest argument. World champion. European champion at club level. A spine of historic success that, in his eyes, outweighs any gaps in his appearance tally.

He is not blind to the competition, though. The Spain international namechecks Barcelona’s teenage phenomenon Lamine Yamal, widely tipped as one of the frontrunners for the award, as a major rival in the race. The message is clear: the field is stacked, but he feels his résumé is unique.

This is not the first time Ruiz has been on the Ballon d'Or radar. Speaking to France Football, he looked back on last year’s vote, when he finished 24th after making the 30-man shortlist.

“Where do I see myself in the Ballon d'Or race? That comes down to the voters,” he said. “The most important thing for me is to put myself at the disposal of the team, while at the same time striving to be among the best. I was fortunate to be among the list of thirty nominees last year. Being among the thirty is a great honour.”

That balance – between team-first duty and individual recognition – defines his pitch. Ruiz knows midfielders often live in the shadows of the headline-grabbing forwards when awards season rolls around. Goals and assists dominate the conversation. The rest is treated as background noise.

He wants that to change.

Drawing strength from the precedent set by his compatriot Rodri, Ruiz points to the Manchester City midfielder’s triumph two years ago as proof that the game has started to look beyond pure attacking numbers.

“Rodri won the Ballon d'Or two years ago,” he reminded France Football. “And although defenders and goalkeepers still find it difficult to gain recognition, I believe what matters today is the role a player performs more than his position on the pitch.”

For Ruiz, this is about more than his own candidacy. It is about shifting how the sport values the less glamorous jobs on the pitch.

“And it is important to set an example for children who are starting to play football,” he added, “so that they also look at midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers.”

The trophies are in the cabinet. The quotes are on record. Now the question hangs over the voters: will they reward the playmaker who won it all, or fall back on the old habit of chasing goals and headlines?