Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé has revealed his top picks for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, ruling himself out of contention despite winning the prestigious accolade in the previous edition.
The French international made the comments during an interview with France Football, excerpts of which were published by L’Équipe, amid an increasingly open race following a season packed with major tournaments and the FIFA World Cup.
When asked to name his top three candidates in no particular order, Dembélé said: “Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane—who had an absolutely fantastic season—and I think Kylian Mbappé.”
Despite naming Kane and Mbappé among his picks, the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner maintained his belief that the award will ultimately remain with a Paris Saint-Germain player, pointing to the strength of the European champions’ campaign.
Dembélé explicitly declined to nominate himself, stating: “Me? No, I never put myself in these things and I don’t vote for myself,” before expanding his field of contenders to include Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Fabián Ruiz, and Willian Pacho.
Kvaratskhelia’s strong case rests on his instrumental role in helping PSG retain their UEFA Champions League title, with the Georgian winger tallying 19 goals and 10 assists. Meanwhile, Kane completed an extraordinary campaign with Bayern Munich, scoring 61 goals across all competitions.
Dembélé was crowned Ballon d’Or winner in 2025 after leading Paris Saint-Germain to their maiden Champions League triumph, but he may hand over the trophy to one of his teammates or continental rivals this time around.
The 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2026, taking place in London for the first time in the award’s history to honor Sir Stanley Matthews, the inaugural winner in 1956.
