José Mourinho, never one to mince words, recently shared his thoughts on football’s top individual prize. Asked about the Golden Ball, he gave a classic Mourinho answer. He linked the award directly to team success. He even joked about how his pick might annoy super-agent Jorge Mendes.
Mourinho told Canal 11 his rule is simple. “The Golden Ball must be won by a true winner,” he stated. He believes that no matter how special we think players or coaches are, the team always comes first. For him, any individual trophy must have a direct link to what the team achieved.
He even used the Club World Cup as an example. He mentioned Cole Palmer, a young player who had a good season at Chelsea. But Mourinho played down the tournament’s importance. He said it reminded him of pre-season trips to the United States with teams like Real Madrid or Inter. He thinks winning that world title only truly matters for Chelsea because they will sell many jerseys.
So, who did Mourinho pick as the season’s big winner? The answer was clear: Paris Saint-Germain. He highlighted how they won the Champions League. He pointed out they did it even after supposedly losing their best player. He compared this to his time at Inter. Zlatan Ibrahimović had left for Barcelona, but Inter still triumphed. This PSG team, Mourinho believes, is the season’s truly great team.
Then, he turned his focus to the Portuguese players at PSG. He spoke about Gonçalo Ramos. Ramos played less, but he was still decisive. Mourinho then shared his strong affection for two other players: Nuno Mendes and Vitinha. “I love both of them, I just can’t pick one,” he admitted. He added that you can still find good midfielders around. But a full-back like Nuno Mendes? Mourinho said, “It’s almost like a joke,” meaning he’s incredibly good.
Naturally, Mourinho said he would love for one of these Portuguese players to win the Golden Ball. “Of course, I would,” he affirmed. But then, with a wry smile, he imagined the fallout. “Jorge Mendes will get upset with me,” Mourinho predicted. “He’ll say Lamine should win because he’s his player.” It was a classic Mourinho moment, blending genuine admiration with a playful jab at the business side of football.