The 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or has been announced, with Paris Saint-Germain winger Kvaratskhelia being the only player on the list who did not participate in the 2026 World Cup.

L'Équipe reported that Kvaratskhelia is the only exception in the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

Due to Georgia's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the Paris Saint-Germain player is the only one among the 30 nominees who did not participate in the World Cup.

This is not unprecedented in history, but the last time it happened was 20 years ago.

In the 2023 Ballon d'Or shortlist, a total of 7 players did not participate in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, including Benzema, Osimhen, Salah, Barella, Ødegaard, Haaland, and Kvaratskhelia. Ultimately, Haaland finished second in the Ballon d'Or voting, behind Messi, after winning the Premier League and FA Cup with Manchester City.

In 2018, this number was 3: Benzema, Bale, and Oblak.

In 2014, during the period when France Football collaborated with FIFA, only Bale and Ibrahimović missed the World Cup because their respective national teams failed to qualify. At that time, the Ballon d'Or shortlist consisted of 23 players.

In the first FIFA Ballon d'Or award in 2010, all 23 nominees participated in the South Africa World Cup.

To go back further, we must look to 2006. At that time, the preliminary Ballon d'Or shortlist had 50 players, and only one player who did not participate in the World Cup received votes—Eto'o.

In the 2005–06 season, Eto'o won La Liga and the Champions League with Barcelona, won the Pichichi Trophy with 26 goals in La Liga, and scored in the Champions League final against Arsenal. However, as Cameroon failed to qualify for the World Cup in Germany, he became the only player that year who missed the World Cup but received votes in the Ballon d'Or selection.

Ultimately, Eto'o ranked 6th in the 2006 Ballon d'Or, behind 5 players who participated in the World Cup, including his Barcelona teammate and eventual Ballon d'Or winner, Ronaldinho.

Now, 20 years later, Kvaratskhelia shares a similar experience with Eto'o.

However, Kvaratskhelia also has a personal honor that Eto'o did not—the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League Player of the Season award.

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