The recently concluded World Cup saw several high-profile absentees. Kvaratskhelia was undoubtedly one of them. With 10 goals, six assists, and an incredibly decisive impact in the knockout stages of last season’s Champions League, he caught the eye of everyone in Europe.
A display of class, timing, and efficiency that peaked with six goals and three assists from the round of 16 to the final, where he won the penalty that led to the equaliser scored by Ousmane Dembele.
Arriving rather worn out for the decisive match in Budapest, where he was still crucial, he felt the fatigue of a triumphant spring run, during which he was the brightest star in the universe shaped by Luis Enrique.
Now, with the Super Cup final against Aston Villa as the first major challenge, he is the freshest player for PSG, the European champions.
The reason is clear: the Georgian missed the global event that dominated the scene for almost a month and a half. He avoided exhausting travel, draining efforts, and the stifling heat that clearly affected all participants.
Instead, he spent his summer recovering from last season’s gruelling campaign, with a carefully planned schedule to be immediately available for the Spanish coach and ready for a demanding start.
Momentum
In Europe’s top competition, 'Kvara' finds motivation that turns him into a constant threat. His Champions League baptism, almost four years ago, saw him shine in the shirt of Napoli.
The victim that day was a strong Liverpool side, who lost 4-1 at the Maradona stadium, with the Georgian providing an assist and completely tormenting Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez. The philosophy of British teams also brings out his ability to create superiority on the left wing, his preferred starting point.
Against the Villans, he also scored in PSG’s 3-1 win in the first leg of the 2024/25 Champions League round of 16, while last season against the Reds he netted a goal in the 2-0 first leg and provided an assist in the 2-0 return at Anfield. And now, with his fellow attackers Dembele, Desire Doue, and Bradley Barcola still not match-fit, it will be up to him to lead the Parisians on the big night in Salzburg.
Contender
Now established as one of the most exciting and effective attacking wingers, he wears the badge of best player from last season’s Champions League. The 10 goals and six assists he contributed, along with PSG’s triumph, have put him in the spotlight, confirming his rise.
Now, the toughest challenge is the Ballon d'Or, for which he is logically in the running, despite not having played in the World Cup.
His rivals, however, are all players who featured this summer in North America. From Lionel Messi to Kylian Mbappe, as well as Rodri, Lamine Yamal, and Harry Kane. What Kvara achieved in the 2025/26 season was not only spectacular but also instrumental in winning the most important club tournament. And if Georgia, a modest national team, did not qualify for the World Cup, it certainly wasn’t his fault.
Following in Sheva’s footsteps
Kvara’s dream is to emulate Andriy Shevchenko, the last player to win a Ballon d'Or without having played in a World Cup or European Championship in the year it was awarded. That was in 2004, when the then Milan player was honoured for winning Serie A as the league’s top scorer. The last time, then, the award went to an athlete raised in a country where the Soviet Union's influence was crucial in shaping sporting culture.
Kvara, born in 2001, is still the heir to a footballing tradition that in the 1970s saw Dinamo Tbilisi emerge, and in the first round of the 1979 European Cup, they even eliminated Liverpool. Today, however, for the jurors of the France Football award, events involving national teams carry enormous weight in the final evaluation.
Yet, in the tournament with the widest player participation, the Caucasian lit the brightest and most spectacular fire, which proved decisive for victory. And who knows, with such a decisive performance in the two months left before voting, he might just break a 22-year-old taboo.