The French newspaper L’Equipe recently published the list of votes by journalists for the Ballon d'Or, highlighting an unexpected result for Kosovar footballer Granit Xhaka. Despite being nominated for this prestigious award, Xhaka received minimal support from the journalists expected to advocate for him: those from Switzerland and Albania.
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| Rodri with Ballon d'Or in his hands and Besnik Dizdari on the other hand (montage) |
Albanian journalist Besnik Dizdari awarded Xhaka just one point, while the Swiss representative did not cast any votes for him at all. Instead, Dizdari gave his maximum points (15) to Spanish midfielder Rodri, indicating a shift in priorities or perhaps a reflection of the journalist's perspective on recent performances.
Here is the breakdown of points from the Albanian representative:
- Rodri – 15 points
- Lamine Yamal – 12 points
- Dani Carvajal – 10 points
- Jude Bellingham – 8 points
- Antonio Rudiger – 7 points
- Erling Haaland – 5 points
- Lautaro Martinez – 4 points
- Vinicius Jr. – 3 points
- Kylian Mbappe – 2 points
- Granit Xhaka – 1 point
The lack of substantial votes from his home region adds an interesting twist to the voting process, revealing the complex dynamics and fierce competition surrounding the Ballon d'Or nominations.