The summer was billed as a World Cup spectacle where every marquee name would light up the stage. While the tournament indeed showcased many global superstars, the real chance for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to step back into the limelight arrives with the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg, marking the revival of club football after the international break. At 25, Kvaratskhelia was crowned the Champions League Player of the Season when Paris Saint-Germain defended their title in May.
Now, with the new campaign kicking off in August, he is determined to chase a third consecutive triumph and prove that the continent's finest talent may have been absent from the World Cup after all. Paris Saint-Germain lifted the Champions League trophy twice under the leadership of captain Marquinhos, while Desire Doue and Vitinha collected man‑of‑the‑match honors in the finals held in Munich and Budapest.
Ousmane Dembélé was later named the Ballon d'Or winner for his pivotal role in securing the historic back‑to‑back victory. Yet the underlying engine of PSG's emerging dominance can be traced to Kvaratskhelia’s arrival.
Signed from Napoli in January of the previous year, his impact was immediate. Before his signing, PSG’s European performances had been solid but lacked a certain spark.
Kvaratskhelia injected that missing piece, transforming the French side into a relentless pressing unit. His high‑energy, all‑action style dovetailed perfectly with Luis Enrique’s tactical blueprint and seemed to elevate the standards of everyone around him, especially the attacking line. Aston Villa, the opponents in this season’s UEFA Super Cup, are already familiar with his prowess. In the first leg of the 2025 quarter‑final, Kvaratskhelia’s dazzling footwork unsettled Axel Disasi, delivering a performance that many consider the toughest test PSG faced during that knockout run.
Last season, Kvaratskhelia’s influence grew even more pronounced as the tournament entered its decisive stages. From the play‑off round onward, no other player matched his goal tally, and he also topped the charts for assists from open play in the Champions League. This dual threat of scoring and creating underscores the body of work he is steadily constructing.
Before his move to Paris, Kvaratskhelia had already become a legend at Napoli, guiding the club to a long‑awaited Serie A title and shattering the myth that only a figure like Diego Maradona could deliver such glory. His extraordinary performances earned him the affectionate nickname “Kvaradona.” What makes the Georgian winger so captivating is his uniqueness. He is an outlier in world football, both in playing style and personal narrative. While many of his Paris teammates hail from the prolific French development system—benefiting from revamped academy structures and the Premier League’s global reach—Kvaratskhelia’s path is markedly different.
In a 2023 interview with his former Rubin Kazan coach Leonid Slutsky, the Russian remarked, “Nobody knew about him before he came to Italy, and that’s understandable.” He added, “I congratulate Napoli because they won the lottery.” Slutsky highlighted Kvaratskhelia’s “abnormal thinking” on the pitch, a tendency to approach situations in unconventional ways. Former Dinamo Tbilisi player‑coach Xisco Muñoz echoed this sentiment, explaining that Georgian football is often nurtured on the streets rather than in formal academies. “In Spain, we stop and pass, maybe learning on a training ground or at school,” Xisco told Sky Sports. “In Georgia, it is street talent.
They play football on the streets, they have to fight and make contact. It is difficult to teach this in school.” David Webb, who worked with Kvaratskhelia on the Georgian national team, recalled the winger’s relentless work ethic. “He is very process‑driven. It’s not something he does for show.
He has been like that since day one,” Webb said, describing how the player would often stay after training to refine his craft. Georgia’s failure to qualify for the World Cup this summer turned out to be both a curse and a blessing for Kvaratskhelia. Deprived of a World Cup platform, he instead helped his nation reach Euro 2024 and later featured in the Club World Cup, providing him with much‑needed rest and recovery after a grueling season. While this break may aid his physical condition, it could also affect his Ballon d'Or prospects.
Historically, Kevin Keegan won the award in a World Cup year when England did not qualify, but at that time only European players were eligible and Argentina claimed the tournament. Looking ahead to 2026, several World Cup‑winning Spaniards will be in contention, and the scoring exploits of Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane for club and country remain compelling arguments. The UEFA Super Cup therefore presents a pivotal opportunity for Kvaratskhelia to reaffirm his status as one of Europe’s elite. His individual brilliance continues to both embellish and drive the performances of what many consider the strongest club side in Europe today.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the standout winger of last season’s Champions League and PSG’s dynamic attacker, is poised to make another statement on the continental stage. OPPO has been the Official Smartphone Product Partner of the UEFA Champions League since 2022, supporting fans worldwide with innovative technology.
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