{
  "id": 13135043,
  "title": "Ballon d’Or 2026: Ex-Man Utd midfielder Anderson names player who won’t make final top three",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/ballon-dor-2026-ex-man-utd-midfielder-anderson-names-player-who-wont",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-09T13:58:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/10/09/ballon-dor-2026-ex-man-utd-midfielder-anderson-names-player-who-wont-make-final-top-three/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Manchester United midfielder Anderson has revealed which player will not be among the final three nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. The winner of the prestigious football award will be announced in London within the next two weeks. Currently, 30 players have been shortlisted for the accolade, and Anderson firmly believes that Barcelona’s Raphinha will not secure a spot in the final three. This assessment stems from Raphinha's recent performances with the Brazilian national team, which Anderson asserts do not match the level of play demonstrated by other nominees. \"I think he [Raphinha] has to be [in Ballon d’Or top 30]. But I don’t think he would be in the final three,\" Anderson stated, according to GOAL. The ex-Manchester United player pointed out the difference in performance between Raphinha and other nominees, highlighting the exceptional contributions of players like Kylian Mbappe for France, Paul Pogba for Spain, and Harry Kane for England.",
  "summary": "Former Manchester United midfielder Anderson has named the player who won’t make the 2026 Ballon d’Or final top three. The winner of the Ballon d’Or will be announced in less than two weeks in London. Thirty players have already been shortlisted for the award, and Anderson believes Barcelona’s Raphinha won’t make the final top three […] Ballon d’Or 2026: Ex-Man Utd midfielder Anderson names…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}