Fabián Ruiz on the Ballon d'Or: "I've Won More Titles Than Any Other Player"

Fabián Ruiz Peña, the 30-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, has made a strong case for his place in the Ballon d'Or conversation with one simple fact: no footballer in Europe lifted more trophies than he did last season. The Andalusian spoke about his remarkable campaign in a radio interview, where he underlined his key role for both his club and the Spanish national team.

• Fabián Ruiz says he is the player with the most titles this season.
• He highlights his leading role in a historic year for PSG and Spain.
• A serious injury has kept him out of the real race for the Ballon d'Or.
• The midfielder refuses to run a self-promotion campaign for the award.
• He admits he would love to lift a major individual trophy one day.

A season trophy haul with no rival in Europe

Fabián Ruiz's campaign with PSG was simply outstanding. The Parisian side dominated French football with remarkable authority, collecting the main domestic honours and delivering a level of collective performance that placed the team among the most reliable in Europe. Within that machine, the midfielder established himself as a key voice in the dressing room and a decisive figure in the engine room.

To that haul must be added what he achieved with the Spanish national team, which once again proved its international pedigree. The combination of success at club and international level makes Fabián's year a rare achievement: very few players can claim to have won almost everything on both fronts of their career.

The injury that stalled his Ballon d'Or chances

The only blemish on his season came in the form of injury. A serious physical setback interrupted his progress at the worst possible moment and limited his chances of competing for the game's biggest individual prize. The midfielder, who had strung together months of top-level performances, was forced to stop and lost presence at a crucial stage of the calendar.

That pause is, in the eyes of analysts, the main obstacle between him and a nomination with real possibilities. Even so, his message does not revolve around his absence, but around what he achieved: he prefers the spotlight to stay on the trophies he lifted rather than the matches he missed.

Fabián Ruiz and the Ballon d'Or without personal campaigning

I prefer it when people do it. Everyone knows the titles I've won this season. But well, I'll leave the campaigning to others.

Far from launching a media push in search of votes, the Andalusian midfielder keeps a low profile. He recognises the value of what he has accomplished, but he is not willing to become his own cheerleader. For him, recognition should come from others, not from a personal strategy.

That stance contrasts with other candidates who have actively worked the media. Fabián, on the other hand, relies on a more natural approach: let fans, teammates and journalists decide whether his season deserves to be among the great ones.

The desire for an individual award

Although his priority has always been the collective, the PSG player does not hide a personal ambition that goes beyond team trophies. Like any elite footballer, he would love to see his work recognised with a major individual honour.

I hope to lift an individual title one day.

That sentence perfectly captures his mindset: satisfied with what he has won, but with his eyes set on goals he has not yet reached. At 30, the Andalusian is going through a moment of footballing maturity that suggests he still has plenty of road ahead to fight for that kind of recognition.

What Fabián Ruiz won this season

The midfielder's trophy cabinet for the recently completed campaign speaks for itself. With PSG he collected the main honours in French football, including Ligue 1, and kept the club fighting for everything until the end. With Spain, he added another international success that reinforces his status as a regular in the national team plans.

The combination of both fronts makes him a unique case among Ballon d'Or contenders. It is not just about winning a lot, but about being a genuine protagonist in each of those triumphs, with quality minutes and a direct influence on his teams' style of play.

Frequently asked questions about Fabián Ruiz and the Ballon d'Or