Mark Kukurelya hopes to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or

Mark Kukurelya, defender of the Chelsea team, answered the question of whether he could be a candidate for the Ballon d'Or in 2026 if the Spanish national team wins the World Cup. This was reported by Euro-football.ru.

Last summer, Kukurelya had already won the world championship at the club level. In an interview with AS, he emphasized that such an event is very complex and rare.

"I don't know for sure... anything can happen.

I hope to be among the candidates, but it is very difficult. Such an achievement would be a historic and unforgettable event in personal life," Kukurelya said.

He noted that he understands people value attackers more and want to see players scoring goals on TV. "People often vote for players who make the game exciting.

But defenders have also won the Ballon d'Or, and such a case can happen again," said the Chelsea player. It should be noted that only Cole Palmer from Chelsea was included in the 2025 Ballon d'Or nominations.

The award will be presented on September 22.