October 6
Barcelona Will Win La Liga Under This Condition
Spanish star David Silva has revealed a surprise contender to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or and shared his thoughts on this season's La Liga title race between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
David Silva delighted fans with his footballing talent until his retirement in the summer of 2023. The Canary Islands native enjoyed a successful career with Valencia, Manchester City, and Real Sociedad, in addition to representing the Spanish national team between 2006 and 2018.
Three years after retiring, he has now announced that he will play for the Hong Kong team Supreme Chatin—but for one match only.
Speaking on a radio program, Silva revealed his pick for the Ballon d'Or, stating his belief that the award should go to a Spanish player.
Silva selected Fabián Ruiz, the current Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, as his choice to win the Ballon d'Or.
He continued: "For me, teamwork is paramount, because you can't win without it. But if I had to give the award to someone, it would be Fabián, because he has won the most titles over the past two years. He has been a key player for Paris Saint-Germain and the national team. He is underrated—I don't know why—because he is a fantastic player. I admire him greatly; he has done an amazing job while quietly going about his business."
He added: "Rodri has already won it; otherwise, I would have mentioned him too."
Regarding Real Madrid and the possibility of overcoming the six-point gap separating them from Barcelona to win the league, his response was decisive: "If Barcelona continues like this, it will be impossible."
He added: "They are playing at a very high level, delivering outstanding performances—as they have for years—under this coach (Flick), and they have strengthened their squad excellently. If they maintain this level, they will have no rivals."
At the same time, he noted that Real Madrid is Real Madrid: "You can never rule them out because they have amazing players; if they keep the gap manageable until the end of the season, they can compete. But I reiterate: if Barcelona maintains this level, I don't think so."
