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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is having a moment.
In April, amidst one of the craziest, most enthralling European games in living memory, the winger scored twice against Bayern Munich, in doing so surpassing a club record for goal involvements in a Champions League campaign.
In the return leg, seven days later, an astute cross for PSG’s opener meant he became the first player to score or assist in seven consecutive Champions League outings.
A week on, another strike helped Les Parisiens secure a league title at the expense of Lens.
It has therefore been a particularly prosperous month for the Georgian, who joined PSG for €80m in January 2025, and it could well prove to be a crucial stepping stone to an unforgettable year.
A further goal involvement in the final against Arsenal in Hungary at the tail-end of May would make it 11 for Kvaratskhelia, and only two other players have ever reached that tally in the competition in a season.
Those players were Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, who each won a Ballon d’Or soon after.
Elegance and Aggression: A devastating hybrid
Born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital that hugs the Kura River, Kvaratskhelia is first and foremost a fun player, designated to entertain.
He dribbles, feints, and being equally adept with both feet his intentions remain a guessing game for every exciting second he is in possession. He can go direct, outstripping the fastest of full-backs in a foot-race, by using an unorthodox gait that is at odds with itself, being both graceful and dishevelled. An elegant scuttle best describes it.
Conversely, he can shoot or cross early, having the capacity to aim accurately without the need to ‘set’ himself.
By turns devastating and savvy, it all amounts to an exhilarating watch and it’s no surprise that Napoli fans bestowed upon him the ultimate honour by comparing the Georgian to Diego Maradona when he tore Serie A defences apart in Naples. He was ‘Kvaradona’, the player who – like one of the greatest to ever don a pair of boots – could conjure up magic from thin air.
Which is all well and good but typically such trickery is sporadic. That’s the deal we make with risk-taking wingers. We revel in a highlight, then afford them leeway for periods of anonymity.
What sets Kvaratskhelia apart is his consistent creativity; the ability to hit the heights and be meaningfully impactful week in, week out.
His stats for the past year bear this out, averaging 11.7 progressive carries per 90 and 5.3 take-ons. The 25-year-old has registered 2.3 tackles per game – a testament to his work-rate because that’s a number usually applicable to a defender – while at the other end he has posted 2.2 key passes.
Then of course there are the goals and assists: the pinpoint crosses and unerring finishes, which routinely make the headlines. But we already know about them.
When PSG paid a king’s ransom for Kvaratskhelia at the start of 2025, he was signed with the onerous remit to be the club’s stand-out performer in a post-Messi, post-Mbappe, and post-Naymar era.
He has unquestionably fulfilled that obligation.
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Keeping Grounded
When those who know the winger speak of him, they speak of values that make up the perfect son-in-law.
He is humble. Generous. He is patriotic, with a deep love of his homeland devoid of nationalism and only consisting of pride. He values family above all other considerations and has worked incredibly diligently to achieve his life-goals.
It is revealing in the best possible sense that his best friends now were his best friends when playing keepy-uppy outside the nondescript apartment block that contained his childhood home.
Such commendable values were forged in that home, surrounded by his doting parents and brothers, and they kept him grounded when he won a national merit, aged 16, for his footballing promise.
Moreover, they helped him keep perspective when early flashes of brilliance at Dynamo Tbilisi led to a move to Locomotiv Moscow, a temporary stint on loan that shaped the teenager for several reasons, one of which haunts him still.
Firstly, it required him to move 2000km away from his family, an upheaval that took courage. Then there was the sharp spike in wages to adapt to. For the first time in his life Kvaratskhelia was rich.
And then his father got sick. Really sick. The teen flew straight home and paid for an emergency life-saving operation. Badri, his dad – and a former professional footballer too, no less – remains to this day his son’s biggest supporter. His rock.
Eclipsing Expectations: A star is born
A move to Rubin Kazan came next, where the explosive winger thrived, winning the Russian Premier League Young Player of the Year award for two campaigns running.
Only then, another set-back, this time geopolitical. As the Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced foreign players had their contracts suspended, meaning they were free to join other clubs.
Despite interest from bigger fish, Kvaratskhelia moved back home to Georgia.
That was until Napoli swooped in 2022, and though there are many different avenues to explore, to fully elucidate the player’s successes in Italy, perhaps an anecdotal example takes us best to the heart of it.
It is said that across his three years on the Peninsula, when anyone of Georgian descent ate out in Naples they never once had to pay a Euro.
Across three years in Italy, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia evolved into an apex attacking talent, one of the main driving forces behind Napoli’s twin title triumphs. He was Kvaradona. He was Kvaravaggio. He was adored.
Then came the move. The big move. The career-defining switch.
Taking the Throne: The Modest King
Jeremy Smith is a French football writer who has watched on with keen interest as the winger disproved all doubters in the City of Light via a series of committed and brilliant displays.
“When PSG signed him a few people raised eyebrows as the team already had an impressive attack, but he has added a mixture of depth, star quality and also work ethic that has been a big factor in PSG finally winning the Champions League.”
“In some ways he is an old fashioned winger, hugging the touchline, and able to beat a man with skill and a turn of pace”
“But he is also a lot stronger, and maybe has more stamina, than the stereotype wiry winger. He can hold his own and - most crucially for Luis Enrique's PSG team - puts in a tireless defensive shift.
That is the difference between this PSG and the Messi-Mbappe-Neymar version. There is so much more balance, with Enrique getting his star forward players to come back and help the defence. Kvara has been a crucial part of that.
For any team to win a major trophy they need a bit of luck and one player playing on a slightly higher plane than everyone else. This season - at least until the final - Kvara has been that player for PSG. The player that other teams are petrified of; who can go inside or outside, shoot or pass. The player who can unlock matches with a brilliant goal or piece of skill. But also the player who provides the team with balance and who works himself into the ground for the collective.”
When Khvicha Kvaratskhelia went to Paris he did so as a prince of Naples. He is now ready to take the throne as king.
