'Anything is possible' - Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could emulate incredibly rare achievement only Kevin Keegan has managed before

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has become one of the most dangerous attackers in world football, with the Georgian having immense talent, but his real threat comes from his unpredictability.

The 25-year-old joined PSG in January 2025 from Napoli for a reported fee of €80 million, becoming the final piece in Luis Enrique’s attack at the Ligue 1 club.

Kvaratskhelia’s impact on the Parisians is clear to see, as he helped them win the Ligue 1 and Champions League on two occasions, being crowned the Champions League Player of the Season in the last campaign.

His impressive performances and the trophies that he has helped PSG win across the last season have seen him named among the frontrunners for the Ballon d’Or, and he could achieve something only Kevin Keegan has ever managed should he be awarded the individual accolade.

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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia aims to achieve same Ballon d’Or feat as Kevin Keegan

Kvaratskhelia is among the names considered to be in with a reasonable chance of lifting the Ballon d’Or in 2026.

Should the Georgian claim the accolade, then it will not be travelling too far, as his PSG teammate Ousmane Dembele is the current holder.

While the 2026 Champions League Player of the Season would be a worthy winner of the award, having been pivotal to the French club’s success across the last campaign, he will have to overcome one major factor.

Kvaratskhelia did not feature in the 2026 World Cup as his nation, Georgia, did not qualify for the competition, as they finished third in their European qualification group behind Spain and Turkey.

The Georgian spoke about his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or: "I think it doesn’t depend on me, but on the people who make the decision. Just being among these players, in the running, is already a real pleasure. In life and in football, I believe anything is possible. That’s why I’m here at PSG today, and I’m very proud of it. I didn’t know how many times a player had won the Ballon d’Or without playing in the World Cup the same year," he told L'Equipe.

"It’s a pleasure when players like Michel Platini and Toni Kroos, legends, say that I deserve it. When even just one person on this planet thinks you deserve a trophy that is one of the biggest in football, that’s already a pleasure. It means I’m doing my job properly. I simply want to continue at the same level. We’ll see what life has in store for me, and I’m ready for anything."

Across the history of the Ballon d’Or, only one player has ever lifted the trophy during a World Cup year without having competed in the competition, that being Kevin Keegan.

The Newcastle United and Liverpool legend was named the 1978 Ballon d’Or winner, despite England not being at the World Cup.

Keegan claimed the Ballon d’Or crown on two occasions, these coming in consecutive years, his first being in 1978 after finishing runner-up in 1977.

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Keegan

Kevin Keegan’s 1978 Ballon d’Or-winning season

In the late 1970’s Keegan was viewed as one of the best footballers in the world, as he was crowned the Ballon d’Or winner on two occasions and came runner-up once.

Keegan finished runner-up in 1977, having impressed for Liverpool, as in the same year he won the English top flight and the club’s first European Cup.

His incredible performances for the Reds would earn him a move to Hamburg for the 1977-78 season. It is noticeable that his first season at Hamburg was not incredibly impressive, as the club finished 10^th, but Keegan’s 12 goals helped him win the Ballon d’Or, and his performances for the team earned him this honour.

The next campaign would be historic for Hamburg as Keegan proved to be key to the club winning the Bundesliga, and it would see him win the Ballon d’Or again in 1979.