Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has tipped Paris Saint-Germain star Vitinha to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or after his masterful Champions League hat-trick this week.
Paris Saint-Germain twice came from behind to beat Tottenham 5–3 in an extraordinary Champions League encounter on Wednesday evening, with Vitinha scoring two stunners and a penalty to mastermind the comeback win.
The Portugal international’s first equaliser was particularly staggering, effortlessly firing the ball into Guglielmo Vicario’s top corner from 25 yards out, and the midfielder’s second showcased his immense technical quality and dribbling ability.
Unsurprisingly, the 25-year-old earned plenty of plaudits after the full-time whistle at the Parc des Princes, with Spurs boss Frank particularly dazzled by his display.
“You hope Vitinha doesn’t put the ball in the top corner. That was very tricky. Then the two goals, their third and fourth, you can’t concede them if you want to win here.
“By the way, Vitinha, best midfielder in the world, he’ll be the next Ballon d’Or winner, for me.”
Vitinha ‘Overjoyed’ With Tottenham Triumph
Vitinha was bursting with pride after Wednesday’s victory—the result moving PSG second in the Champions League standings with three games remaining—and revealed he had never previously scored two goals in the same game, let alone three.
“It’s the first time. Even two, it’s the first time. I had never scored two in the same game,” he joked.
“It was incredible, I think it’s a bit of a mental thing. If you don’t think about scoring a lot of goals, you probably won’t. You have to believe, you have to push, too. Of course, always for the good of the team and never against the team, but you have to believe, show up, feel that the ball will come to you.
“The truth is that I had luck combined with the goals and I’m overjoyed. I never, never thought I’d score three goals in a game. Very happy to have scored, but mainly for the victory.”
Vitinha, who came third in the 2025 Ballon d’Or vote, will hope to guide PSG to more European glory this season after last term’s overdue maiden triumph for the French giants.
READ THE LATEST SOCCER NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MATCH REACTION
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Premier League Manager Names ‘Next Ballon d’Or Winner’.
