Thomas Frank, the manager of Tottenham, has expressed his belief that Vitinha from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is poised to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or. Vitinha's outstanding performance, including a hat-trick,
was pivotal in PSG's 5-3 triumph over Spurs on Wednesday. Randal Kolo Muani also shone for Spurs, assisting Richarlison's opening goal and scoring twice himself.
Vitinha played a key role in PSG's Champions League victory last season and finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting. He was behind Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal. However, Frank is confident that the Portuguese midfielder will claim the award next year. "Vitinha is the best midfielder in the world," Frank told TNT Sports. "He will be the next Ballon d'Or winner. "
Vitinha scored multiple goals in a single game for PSG for the first time. He became only the fifth Portuguese player to achieve a hat-trick in a Champions League match, joining Cristiano Ronaldo, Rui Pedro, Diogo Jota, and Joao Mario. In this game, he led PSG with five shots, ten final third entries, 109 touches, and 89 accurate passes.
Despite Vitinha's remarkable display stealing the spotlight, Frank found many positives in Spurs' performance compared to their recent match against Arsenal. "I am very pleased with the performance," Frank said. "Today was much more the identity of the team, the bravery and aggressiveness of the team. "
Kolo Muani has now been directly involved in seven goals across his last four matches against his parent club PSG. He has scored in each of these encounters (five goals) and provided two assists. This time he scored more goals against them (two) than he did during his 14 appearances for them in this competition (one).
5 - Paris SG are the opponent against whom Randal Kolo Muani has been involved in the most goals in all competitions (5 3 goals, 2 assists). Investment.pic.twitter.com/8t46Fj7YQsOptaJean (@OptaJean)November 26, 2025
Frank noted that Kolo Muani's two goals could be a turning point for him as he has struggled with confidence at Spurs this season. "It can definitely be a turning point but the two goals will give him confidence going forward," Frank commented.
The match showcased Spurs' improved identity and spirit despite conceding several goals. Frank acknowledged that while they aimed to get something out of this game, they need to tighten their defence to avoid conceding four or five goals regularly.
The team's character and soul were evident during this match as they competed fiercely against PSG. The performance reflected what Frank desires from his team moving forward.
