José Mourinho Challenges Trophy-Based Ballon d’Or Debate

José Mourinho has shared his thoughts on the Ballon d’Or. He believes that winning the Champions League or the World Cup should not automatically make a player the favorite for the award. Over the years, players from teams that lift the biggest trophies have often been in pole position. But Mourinho thinks the award should recognize individual brilliance that leaves a lasting mark on the game.

He said the Ballon d’Or cannot be awarded to a player just because he has won a major trophy. He named some of the greatest players in football history as examples. He said he misses players like Maradona, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Zinedine Zidane. He suggested that the award be meant to honor Champions League or international success. Then that should go to the coaches or teams responsible. He mentioned Luis Enrique and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente as examples.

He separated the idea of winning trophies from being the best individual player in the world. He said the best players are two, three, or four, and everyone knows who they are. He also hinted that one player made history individually this summer. extract-html.com

Mourinho also suggested that factors beyond football could influence the award. He admitted he is less comfortable with it when he feels politics enters the picture. He said the Ballon d’Or is also something political, and he does not like it when that happens. His comments were a clear statement on how he views the award.

José Mourinho Picks Kylian Mbappé for the 2026 Ballon d’Or

José Mourinho has picked Kylian Mbappé as his choice for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. He argued that the award should recognize individual brilliance rather than simply go to someone who lifted the Champions League or World Cup. He made this clear ahead of Real Madrid’s match against Málaga.

Mourinho believes Mbappé has a strong claim because of what he achieved individually this summer. He pointed to Mbappé becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. He said Mbappé made history individually.

Mbappé’s season was extraordinary. He scored 43 goals in 47 appearances for Real Madrid across all competitions. He finished as the leading scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League. At the World Cup, he scored 10 goals in eight appearances. These achievements made him the highest-scoring player in football history

His biggest problem is that he did not win a major trophy last season. Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League, and Spain won the World Cup. Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Rodri are strong contenders because of those wins. But Mourinho does not believe winning those competitions should automatically decide the award.

He said the best players in the world are two, three, or four, and they are here. He indicated that several leading candidates are part of his squad. He also said the Ballon d’Or should go to players we miss for eternity when they retire. He named Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Zinedine Zidane as examples.

He took the argument further. He suggested that if the award is simply about rewarding winners, then the coaches responsible for those victories should be recognized instead. He said if we want to reward the Champions League, give it to Luis Enrique. For the Spanish team, give it to Luis de la Fuente. He added that the best player in the world is neither at PSG nor on the Spanish team.

Mourinho’s comments put Mbappé ahead of several leading contenders. He also noted that his own squad has several players who could feature prominently. Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham are both expected to be in contention alongside Mbappé. Mbappé has never won the Ballon d’Or.

FAQs

Q. What does José Mourinho think should decide the Ballon d’Or?

A. Mourinho believes individual brilliance should matter most.

Q. Who is Mourinho’s pick for the 2026 Ballon d’Or?

A. Mourinho has picked Kylian Mbappé for the award.

Q. Does Mourinho think major trophies should decide the award?

A. No. Mourinho says trophies should not automatically decide it.

Q. Which legendary players did Mourinho mention?

A. Mourinho mentioned Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Messi, and Zidane.

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to move the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy out of Sri Lanka because of the government’s control of the board.

Currently, Sri Lanka Cricket’s affairs have been run by a government-appointed committee, which was brought in to oversee reforms to the board’s affairs, including changes to its constitution and governance structure.

The transformation committee had completed a draft constitution of the board and sent it to the Sports Minister. The proposed changes were awaited to undergo the legal process of being presented to Parliament.

The members of the Transformation Committee told the media that if expects for SLC elections to take place before the end of 2026, so long as the parliamentary process runs smoothly.

However, as per the ICC policy, no politically appointed administration is allowed. The ICC has also refused to allow SLC representatives to attend ICC Board meetings since the Transformation Committee took over.

“The ICC Board received an update on Sri Lanka Cricket and noted progress towards a revised Constitution. It reiterated the need for elections to be held as soon as possible and agreed that Sri Lanka Cricket would continue to be unable to be represented at ICC Board meetings for the time being,” said ICC in a statement released in July.

Beyond the financial implications of the tournament being withdrawn, there are likely to be consequences for the sport itself. With the tournament scheduled to be played between the top six teams in the ODI team rankings, including the hosts, Sri Lanka is out of the tournament.

Sri Lanka are currently in the seventh position. Australia, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa are in the top five, while the West Indies are in the sixth position of the rankings.

Previously, Sri Lanka had lost the hosting rights of the 2024 U19 World Cup, which was eventually moved to South Africa after Sri Lanka’s sports ministry had dissolved the elected SLC board.

The post Sri Lanka Lose Hosting Rights for Inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy; India a Likely Replacement appeared first on Times of Sports.

Bharath Ramaraj, CoE

Qamran Iqbal’s batting brings out the essence of first-class cricket. The 25-year-old opener from Srinagar may never play for India at the highest level. His rather curious game may not necessarily cajole fans to flock to the stadium just to watch him bat. Yet, his self-made technique is compelling to watch. In the ongoing Duleep Trophy semifinal between South Zone and North Zone at the Centre of Excellence, Qamran accrued 76 runs for North. But for much of that innings, his struggles at the crease were evident.

On occasions, while trying to drive Tanay Thyagarajan, the spinner, his bottom hand came off the handle. At times, he seemed caught in two minds over whether to play at Vidwath Kaverappa’s offerings. While attempting the flick against the quicker bowlers, he once again looked rushed. He also offered a couple of chances that South Zone failed to grab. Despite all that, he managed a gutsy 76. More importantly, his innings offered a glimpse into the grind of first-class cricket and how every run has to be earned.

Just a few months ago, Qamran also had to earn his place in the Jammu and Kashmir side for the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka. At the eleventh hour, J&K’s regular opener picked up an injury. Qamran had to take three different flights before linking up with the squad just minutes before the start of play. He went on to score 160 in the second innings. That knock, too, had its share of plays and misses, hacks and shots played after backing away towards the leg side. Vijaykumar Vyshak, the Karnataka pace bowler, was visibly frustrated by Qamran’s methods. In an imaginary sense, all Qamran might have said to his opponent was: Look up at the scorecard, mate.

The ongoing semifinal between North and South also saw Vidwath Kaverappa pick up four wickets. The tall Karnataka pacer had missed the aforementioned Ranji Trophy final, with the coaching staff preferring Vidyadhar Patil. For a bowler who had earned a BCCI fast-bowling contract not too long ago, it was a downward slide. Due to a variety of reasons, including a shin injury, Kaverappa has played fewer than 10 first-class matches since the start of the 2024-25 season.

Returning to the Duleep Trophy semifinal, Kaverappa had figures of 0/38 after seven overs at one stage before bouncing back in style. The 27-year-old was measured when speaking to a select media gathering after the day’s play. “I am not really over the moon or something like that,” Kaverappa told reporters on Sunday at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. “I’m just taking one game at a time and not thinking too far ahead. I know the kind of bowling I can produce. So I cannot relax or be complacent with this.” The salient feature of his bowling was the way he extracted enough lift from a slow deck and got the ball to cut off the seam.

In the other semifinal between Central and East Zone, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took over the captaincy duties after Ishan Kishan was hit on the hand and hogged the limelight.
But the hero of the day’s play from that game was Rinku Singh. The left-hand batter was not picked in the original squad for the 2024 Duleep Trophy. Last year, he played very few first-class matches because of his national commitments.

In that context, it felt like a moment of significance in Rinku’s career when he looked heavenwards after reaching a gutsy fifty. It was a quintessential Rinku innings. He ran like a jackrabbit between the wickets, turning ones into twos and constantly putting pressure on the fielding side. Essentially, he became the fulcrum of Central Zone’s total of 266.

So, that was about the three musketeers of the day. All three are at slightly different stages of their respective careers. But on the given day, the threesome, representing different teams, had one common trait: the ability to soak up pressure and rise to the occasion.

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