Kvaratskhelia Returns in UEFA Super Cup
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Kvaratskhelia was named Champions League player of the season as PSG successfully defended their European crown in May, and now lines up against Aston Villa in Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg.
- Kvaratskhelia led all players in goals scored from the Champions League play-off round onwards last season and finished with the most open-play assists in the competition.
- Kvaratskhelia joined PSG from Napoli in January of the prior year and immediately transformed Luis Enrique's side into a pressing machine, setting new standards in the forward line.
- Georgia failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, meaning Kvaratskhelia missed the tournament — a break coaches described as his first chance to refresh in years but a blow to his Ballon d'Or case.
- Kvaratskhelia had previously inspired Napoli to their first Serie A title in over three decades, earning the 'Kvaradona' nickname as the first player since Maradona to deliver that trophy.
- The Ballon d'Or race now features World Cup-winning Spaniards, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane — all of whom played this summer, unlike a Kvaratskhelia who instead used the window to rest.
Why it matters: Kvaratskhelia enters the Super Cup as arguably the most influential player on the reigning European champions, yet missed the World Cup platform his main Ballon d'Or rivals all used to build their cases. The Super Cup is his first competitive audition to reassert himself before voters who watched Mbappe, Kane, and Spain's winners all summer while he rested.
Ask SkimNews
