Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha has been named A Bola's Person of the Year for 2025 and has given an exclusive interview to the newspaper.
Is it possible for a player like Vitinha to win the highest individual honor in football? Or does the award still favor players who create imbalances, score more goals, and bring more magic and fantasy, thus subtly reducing the chances for players like you?
That's certainly a good question. Midfielders have won the Ballon d'Or in the past, such as Modric and Rodri. And Iniesta, in my opinion, deserved one. But let's not delve into that. It's always a relative question. If it were me, or any midfielder playing in my position, in excellent form, and deserving of competing for these individual awards, and ultimately didn't win, I wouldn't feel sad, resentful, or disappointed. It's perfectly normal. I understand the players who score goals, those who finish plays, those who have a more direct impact on the game, those who are more attacking, those with a stronger presence.
I'm a midfielder myself, but as a child, I also enjoyed watching them. I liked watching Ronaldo, I liked watching Messi, I liked watching players who could create huge impacts—that's perfectly normal. Therefore, if this were to happen, I would never feel upset or unfair, because they deserve these honors just as much.
Of course, if one day it were me, or any truly deserving midfielder, who won the Ballon d'Or, I would be very happy, without a doubt. Next, we actually need to broaden our perspective to other positions. Because 10, 15, or even 20 years ago, when we looked at defenders, they were responsible for defense; they didn't aim to score goals. But football has changed. Players like Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi are almost like wingers. In defensive phases, they participate in defense like everyone else, but in a more advanced position, taking on the task of pressing. In our attacking system, many times it's me, or another midfielder, who stands in a deeper position, while they've already pushed forward and participated in the attack.
That's why they have so much involvement in goals and assists. So, shouldn't they also be included in this kind of discussion? That's really difficult. Giving a completely objective answer is very difficult because it's always an extremely subjective matter. But if one day I can stand in the Ballon d'Or competition again, I will be very happy... and if I can actually win it, that would be my dream.