Aymeric Laporte looks back on his international career, the Ballon d'Or controversy, and Li Wenwen's brilliance at the Aichi-Nagoya Games

Aymeric Laporte reviewed his distinguished international career after Spain won the FIFA World Cup this year in 2026, revealing at the same time his decision to change his sporting allegiance from France 5 years ago.

The defender of the Spanish club Athletic Bilbao stressed that his pride in representing the “Matador” team goes beyond just winning titles, pointing to deep personal ties that shaped his path with the football club.

Laporte reflects on his international journey with the Spanish national team after winning the 2026 World Cup, highlighting the reasons for his switch from representing France, after he officially decided to represent the Spanish national team instead of the “Roosters” national team in May 2021.

Laporte's statements come after he proved himself an indispensable element in the Spanish national team's defense line throughout its triumphant journey towards the world title.

The former English Manchester City defender stressed that his loyalty to Spain stems from close family roots and his personal identity, and not from the pursuit of winning championships.

Speaking to the channel of former Spanish player Mario Suarez, who currently works as a sports analyst for ESPN, on his YouTube account, Laporte said: “Winning the World Cup, the European Nations Cup, and the European Nations League, even if none of that had been achieved, I would have felt the same amount of pride. My wife, family, and children are from here, and I truly feel a sense of belonging to Spain.”

Speaking about the naturalization process, which faltered at the beginning before it was eventually completed successfully, Laporte added: “It was a long process; There was an initial attempt a year and a half or two ago that was not successful for several reasons.”

He continued: “Then we talked again, and the (Spanish Football Federation) officials explained to me that they really wanted to rely on me. We both agreed that it was a unique opportunity that could not be missed.”

It is noteworthy that Laporte's decision to change his allegiance came after the faltering of his potential international career with the French national team under the leadership of coach Didier Deschamps, despite the fact that he had previously carried the captaincy with the "Roosters" national team in several youth age groups.

Speaking about that turning point, Laporte revealed: “I was born in the city of Agen and lived there until I was 15 years old before moving to Bilbao. “My whole family comes from France, where patriotism runs very deep.”

He explained: “Although I considered France my first homeland, certain situations, such as my story with the national team, push one to reconsider matters.”

Laporte pointed out at the conclusion of his statements: “I was embraced by Athletic Club Bilbao, and there I achieved the greatest amount of development. Given that the French national team coach did not include me in his calculations at all, I made the decision to change my sporting allegiance.”

The voting process for the Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world has been closed since Monday, but arguments in support of the most prominent candidates may not end before October 26, the scheduled date for the award of the most prestigious individual award in football in London, after a tumultuous media campaign.

From the alternation between the Argentine Lionel Messi and the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award for a decade, to the Spanish Real Madrid boycotting the ceremony in 2024, in protest against the coronation of his compatriot Rodri at the expense of his Brazilian international striker Vinicius Junior, the seventy years of the history of the “Golden Ball” were not devoid of controversy and debate.

But the 2026 campaign is “to a large extent unprecedented in terms of media hype,” according to Pascal Ferré, former managing editor of France Football, the magazine organizing the ceremony, and author of the book “The Hidden Face of the Ballon d’Or,” in his interview with “Agence France-Presse.”

It is no longer just a matter of clubs, coaches and teammates supporting the candidate they prefer; Rather, the candidate himself has publicly defended his right to win. Real Madrid striker and France captain Kylian Mbappe said: “There was no better player than me last season,” adding that “he was always seen as the chosen one.” His fellow Paris Saint-Germain winger, Ousmane Dembélé, who is seeking to retain the award he won last year, responded to him, saying: “I was never the chosen one, but I worked hard.”

As for the Spanish talent, Lamine Yamal, he stressed that the Golden Ball rewards “a different player, and that it is not related to the number of goals he scores.” This torrent of statements led to a kind of overlapping noise, in clear contrast to the more subdued campaign for the Women’s Ballon d’Or (launched in 2018). The Spanish Alexia Botias simply told Agence France-Presse that “football speaks on her behalf.”

Pascal Ferret believes that this “also reflects the difference in the level of fame between men’s and women’s football, and thus the difference in the amount of media hype associated with it.” He adds: “If the men’s Ballon d’Or is receiving all this attention, it is because it is still a machine for stimulating imagination, pressure and suspense,” considering that this is evidence that the award “has not lost its credibility or legitimacy.”

Bruno Bianzina, director of the “Sportmarket” consulting agency in the field of sports communication, told “Agence France-Presse”: “The real transformation is that the players entered the battle themselves. In the past, pressure campaigns were more institutional and less clear, led by clubs and those close to the players. Today, it has become more offensive, with a desire to formulate a narrative specific to each player.”

If Mbappe had made his statements to the Madrid newspaper “AS”, known for its closeness to Real Madrid, he also granted other interviews, most notably an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI), which this time was organized by his own team, according to journalist Olivier Brun, who conducted the interview.

Bron explained in a video clip published by the radio: “His surroundings are waging an organized campaign, and they want to address the African continent,” adding that some topics were excluded from the interview, such as French politics, the governance crisis in FIFA, and the Ceuta file, the Spanish enclave located in Morocco.

Bianzina answers: “There is no clearer candidate in the race than others, and every player believes he has a chance, so he tries to impose his own narrative and shift the evaluation criteria to serve his file.” The official Ballon d'Or criteria give priority to individual performance, including numbers and statistics, while collective achievements come second. This is in the interest of candidates such as Mbappe, who is a brilliant goalscorer with Real Madrid and the French national team, and who won the title of top scorer in the 2026 World Cup, as well as Englishman Harry Kane, who had an exceptional season with German Bayern Munich, during which he scored 61 goals in 51 matches, despite his less media presence. But neither of them won the World Cup, unlike Al-Amin Yamal and Rodri, who won the Champions League with the Spanish national team, or the European Champions League, like Ousmane Dembélé and Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who won the continental title for the second consecutive season with Paris Saint-Germain. Despite these individual campaigns, Bianzina believes that “there is real coordination between the clubs and the players,” adding that “the Ballon d’Or has become part of the club’s legend and identity.”

As for Pascal Ferret, he confirms that the award represents “an incomparable international showcase.” Pointing out that the ceremony is broadcast globally in “180 countries.” With 10 Paris Saint-Germain players on the shortlist of 30 candidates, as happened last year, the French club confirms that it is focusing its campaign on the collective aspect, without revealing additional details about its strategy. However, this did not prevent him from organizing joint interviews between Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia, while his Spanish international player Fabian Royce had a special space through a number of individual interviews.

But the question remains: Will pressure campaigns, statistical arguments, and media battles bear fruit? Pascal Ferret firmly answers: “The Ballon d’Or is not a competition to create the biggest media hype.”

Li Wenwen's celebration of winning the gold medal at the Asian Games in the women's weightlifting competition in the weight category of more than 86 kilograms may seem a bit excessive for a two-time Olympic champion, but the 26-year-old weightlifter confirmed that this was a natural expression of her happiness after completing her mission at the Aichi-Nagoya Games on Tuesday.

Chinese Li, who won the over 87 kilograms title in Tokyo and then the gold medal in over 81 kilograms in Paris, achieved a total of 310 kilograms at the Nagoya Trade and Industry Center, and won the title with two records in the games.

Although this weight is much less than her world record of 335 kilograms, it was more than enough for her to comfortably surpass South Korean Park Hye Jeong, who lifted 300 kilograms.

Li, who is known for her habit of sleeping on the floor during competitions, shed tears as soon as the results were announced before she jumped to the podium with childish joy to receive her gold medal.

“You did a very good job today,” she said to me, smiling broadly. "I came here just for this medal."

But before that, her competitive spirit was very evident.

Lee exclaimed as she entered confidently, then dipped her tape-wrapped fingers into chalk powder and rubbed them on the palms of her hands before stepping onto the platform to perform a snatch.

She started by lifting a modest weight of 132 kilograms, but she crushed her competitors in the third attempt, which reached 140 kilograms, thus achieving a new record in the Games. Park came in second place by lifting 133 kilograms.

Park left a clear mark in the clean and jerk by lifting 167 kilograms, but Lee easily exceeded the mark after lifting 170 kilograms.

She said: “I will rest for a day or two, then I will prepare better for the Olympic Games,” stressing that she will adhere to her usual sleeping regime in Nagoya as well.

She added: “If you follow my accounts on social media, you will see that I always sleep on the floor during competitions. I feel safer like this. We are staying on a cruise ship. “I sleep very well.”

Park, who won the gold medal in the over 87kg category in Hangzhou three years ago, found a silver lining in her performance.

She said: “Although I did not achieve the same medal as I did at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, I was able to lift more weight, and I felt as if I had won a battle with myself.”

Qatari Wissal Yakhlef won the bronze medal.