Willian Pacho finished 20th in the 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings, which were revealed on Monday ahead of the ceremony at the London Palladium. It is the first time the award has been presented outside France. The Ballon d’Or’s official account confirmed his place, and La Tri shared it with a simple message: “En mis libros. El mejor central.” (“In my book, the best center-back.”)
It is the best finish ever by an Ecuadorian player, according to El Comercio, El Universo and Primicias. It is also Pacho’s first nomination. The only other Ecuadorian to make the shortlist was Édison Méndez in 2006, when he was at PSV Eindhoven. He was one of 50 nominees that year but did not receive any votes.
Where he finished
According to ESPN‘s full rankings, Pacho finished between his PSG teammate João Neves (19th) and Arsenal’s Gabriel (21st). He was the only Ecuadorian on the men’s list.
| Rank | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | João Neves | PSG |
| 20 | Willian Pacho | PSG |
| 21 | Gabriel | Arsenal |
| 22 | Lautaro Martínez | Inter |
| 23 | Nuno Mendes | PSG |
| 25 | Marquinhos | PSG |
Pacho made the list on the strength of a 2025-26 season in which he played 56 games, scored two goals and provided one assist for PSG, according to El Comercio. That season PSG won the Champions League for a second year in a row as well as Ligue 1.
Later that night, Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, ahead of Kylian Mbappé (2nd) and Lamine Yamal (3rd). Pacho’s PSG were named men’s club of the year, and Alexia Putellas won the women’s award for the third time.
Playing, not partying
On the same day as the ceremony in London, Pacho was at work in Paris. He played all 90 minutes as PSG beat Lyon 2-0 at the Parc des Princes on Monday, with second-half goals from Senny Mayulu (72′) and Mika Godts (84′). FotMob rated him 7.8, PSG kept a clean sheet, and he completed 79 of his 80 passes, including all five of his long balls. He also made two tackles, two interceptions and four clearances.
For Marcelo Gallardo’s Ecuador, the next games are the November friendlies against Costa Rica and Bolivia. Follow every Pacho match on our Players Tracker.
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