Willian Pacho nominated for 2026 Ballon d'Or

Ecuadorian defender Willian Pacho has been named among the nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The official Ballon d'Or website published a profile on the Paris Saint-Germain player, highlighting his journey from Quinindé to the elite of European football.

The profile, titled “The strength born from pain,” details Pacho's difficult upbringing and the loss of his mother in 2019, which occurred on the same day as his professional debut. Pacho noted that he uses the number 51 on his jersey to honor her age at the time of her passing.

His career path includes playing for Independiente del Valle, where he was teammates with Moisés Caicedo, followed by stints at Royal Antwerp in Belgium and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. Since joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, he has become a key defender and became the first Ecuadorian to win the Champions League.