Monday evening is the big moment: London will host the eagerly anticipated Ballon d'Or ceremony. The prestigious award recognizes the best performances of the past season, from August 2025 to July 2026.
The race could hardly be more exciting. Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi are among the many leading contenders.
But if Felix Magath had his way, a completely different player would take home the Ballon d'Or. In today's edition of "Bild am Sonntag," the 1980 European champion named Germany's nemesis Marc Cucurella as his favorite.
Magath's reasoning: "He's a world-class left-back, always there, a strong runner and hardly ever loses a duel. He locks down his flank and gets forward too. He played a major role in Spain's World Cup triumph."
To be fair, the 73-year-old is by no means wrong about that. Cucurella did indeed have an outstanding World Cup and is undoubtedly one of the best left-backs on the planet. Another important point is that defensive players are traditionally overlooked for the Ballon d'Or and could certainly do with a little more love.
And yet: actually considering Cucurella, who had anything but an easy year at club level, the best or most valuable player in the world does feel a bit like ragebait. Clearly successful ragebait, though, because we took the bait hook, line and sinker!
What do you think: Does Magath have a point with his Cucurella pick? Or is his choice—pun intended!—a bit of a hair-brained idea? Let us know in the comments!
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.