John Felix out of the Golden Ball: “I didn’t even know when the list was coming out”

João Félix granted an extensive interview to this Thursday edition of the Spanish newspaper As, in which he devalued the fact that he stayed off the list of 30 players nominated for the Golden Ball, after he was elected the best player in the Saudi Arabian League and made his sights, by Portugal, during the World Cup.

“ These aren't things that depend on me, I don't know who chooses them or not. I wasn't worried about that. I didn't even know when the list was coming out. I'm cool with it. People see the Saudi championship a little undervalued. Of course it is not in the top5, but it is a good championship ", shot.

“ I did a great season, but I'm cool... Perhaps, if we had come far, in the World Cup, we could have been there, but I don’t know”, he added, referring to the fact that the national team did not manage to go beyond the eighth finals, where it was eliminated by Spain (which would become champion) by 0-1.

Al Nassr's advance then explained those who, in their view, are at the front line of the race for the world's best player title: “I always argued that the Golden Ball is for that player you look at and say “This is a star and deserves to be remembered in football”.

“ If there's one player who, when you turn on the TV, leaves you glued to watching him play is Lamine [Yamal]. It's true that Mbappé and Harry Kane had a great season, but Lamine is football. In addition, he won the World Cup, and in the years of World Cup, it is always very important to win it to be closer to the Golden Ball”, he concluded.

Who's running for the Golden Ball anyway?

The prestigious magazine France Football, remember, presented, last August, the complete list of 30 candidates for the conquest of the Golden Ball for the best player in the world, in 2026, and the highlight goes to the inclusion of four Portuguese, specifically Bruno Fernandes ( Manchester United), Nuno Mendes, João Neves and Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain).

In the race are also Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid and England), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona and Spain), Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid and Spain), Ousmane Dembélé (PSG and France), Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich and Colombia), Erling Haaland (Manchester City and Norway), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal and Brazil), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich and England), Achraf Hakimi (PSG and Morocco), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG and Georgia), Marquinos (PSG and Brazil), Sadio Mané (Al Nassr and Senegal), Lautaro Martínez (Internazionale and Argentina), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid and France), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami and Argentina), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich and France), Willian Pacho (PSG and Ecuador), Julián Quines (Al-Qadsia and Mexico and Mexico (Rinland and Mexico).