William Saliba has finished 29th in this year's Ballon d'Or rankings, which is fine. All things considered, it's a pretty respectable finish for him. What is not respectable, though, is Julin Quiones finishing above him.
Quiones currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah and the Mexico National Team. The World Cup was truly a tremendous tournament for Quiones, and he finished the season as the Saudi Pro League's top goal scorer - those are obviously achievements worth celebrating. However, he is quite clearly not a better footballer than Saliba.
Saliba is one half of the best defensive partnership in the world. He is given the nickname 'Rolls Royce' not as an overstatement, but as a testament to the way he remains so composed both on and off the ball. He rarely gets the flowers he deserves for Arsenal's truly incredible defensive record in 2026.
When Saliba was announced as the 29th best men's player at the Ballon d'Or award, it was respectable. Arsenal fans obviously wanted to see him higher, but in the grand scheme of things, we can't campaign for much higher than that given France's shortcomings in the World Cup and Arsenal losing the Champions League final.
It became less respectable when Quiones was announced as finishing higher than him. It is impossible to compare a striker to a defender, but I mean, come on, everybody knows Saliba is a better player than Quiones. It is like saying the sky is bluer than the grass - it doesn't even need to be said.
The Ballon d'Or has a long reputation for ignoring defensive players. This is why, despite Arsenal having their best season since the Invincibles, they were never destined to make the top 10 again this year.
The Gunners are a great team, but last season, they were far stronger in defence than in attack. The Ballon d'Or is not set up to reward the defensive side of the game, despite it being equally as important as the attacking side.
Mexico were by far the best host nation at this year's World Cup. They overexceeded expectations, which they have a remarkable history of doing. Quiones was paramount to El Tri's magnificent run, but the fact of the matter remains the same. If you were to ask any club in the world if they would prefer to sign Quiones or Saliba, nobody would say Quiones. Let's be honest about this.
This article was originally published on www.paininthearsenal.com as Arsenal's William Saliba became the butt of what must be a Ballon d'Or joke .
