Premier League Boss Boldly Predicts Football's Next Ballon d'Or Champion
Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has backed Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha to claim the 2026 Ballon d'Or following his spectacular Champions League treble this week.
Paris Saint-Germain mounted two separate comebacks to defeat Tottenham 5–3 in a thrilling Champions League clash on Wednesday night, with Vitinha netting two spectacular strikes and a spot-kick to orchestrate the turnaround victory.
The Portuguese playmaker's opening equalizer was especially breathtaking, coolly slotting the ball into Guglielmo Vicario's top corner from 25 yards, while his second goal demonstrated his exceptional technical prowess and ball-handling skills.
Predictably, the 25-year-old received widespread praise following the final whistle at the Parc des Princes, with Spurs manager Frank especially impressed by his performance.
Following the loss in France, Frank commented: "There's disappointment when you take a 1–0 lead and then go 2–1 ahead against PSG on their home turf. The display was aimed at securing something from the match—either one point or all three. That was our approach.
"You pray Vitinha doesn't find the top corner with his shot. That was extremely difficult to handle. Then their third and fourth goals—you simply cannot allow those if you want to succeed here.
"Incidentally, Vitinha is the finest midfielder on the planet, and he'll claim the next Ballon d'Or, in my opinion."
Vitinha 'Delighted' With Tottenham Victory
Vitinha was filled with joy following Wednesday's triumph—the result propelling PSG to second place in the Champions League table with three matches left—and disclosed he had never before netted two goals in a single match, much less three.
"It's my first time. Even scoring two is a first for me. I had never managed two in one game," he laughed.
"It was amazing, I believe it's somewhat psychological. If you don't focus on finding the net frequently, you likely won't succeed. You must have confidence, you must push forward as well. Naturally, always for the team's benefit and never to its detriment, but you must believe, step up, sense that the ball will find you.
"The reality is I had fortune combined with those goals and I'm absolutely thrilled. I never, ever imagined I'd net three goals in one match. Extremely pleased to have scored, but primarily for the win."
Vitinha, who finished third in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting, will aim to lead PSG to additional European success this campaign after last season's long-awaited first triumph for the French club.