Ousmane Dembélé believes the 2026 Ballon dOr will go to a PSG player, naming Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane and Mbappé in his personal top three.
Dembele backs PSG player to win 2026 Ballon dOr
Ousmane Dembélé believes the 2026 Ballon d'Or will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player, with the 2025 winner insisting that the race is less unpredictable than many observers suggest. Speaking in an interview with French newspaper L'Équipe, the 29-year-old discussed the leading candidates for the award, revealed his own top three and once again refused to place himself among the favourites, despite entering the new race as the defending winner.
Dembélé was crowned the best player in the world in 2025 after a season that established him at the centre of PSG success, but he does not appear interested in making his own candidacy a major talking point this time around. Instead, the France international placed the emphasis on the strength of the Parisian squad and suggested that one of his teammates should ultimately succeed him when the 2026 award is decided.
“I hear a lot about this subject and people have said that this year will be difficult,” Dembélé said. “For everyone, the Ballon d'Or is a bit unpredictable, but we will see what happens. I do not think this award is unpredictable. I think it will stay in the hands of a PSG player.”
That conviction reflects the confidence surrounding PSG after a period in which the club has established itself among the dominant forces in European football. Dembélé comments also place the individual award firmly within a collective context. Rather than focusing on one single superstar, he pointed towards several PSG players as possible candidates and repeatedly returned to the idea that the performances of the team should naturally influence the Ballon d'Or conversation.
Kvaratskhelia leads Dembele personal top three
When asked to name his own leading candidates, Dembélé placed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the top of his list. The Georgian forward was the first name mentioned by the PSG winger, underlining the esteem in which he is held by one of his most prominent teammates.
“My top three? Kvara [Kvaratskhelia], Harry Kane, who had a very good season, and I think Mbappé,” Dembélé said.
The selection brought together three very different profiles. Kvaratskhelia represents the PSG option Dembélé appears to rate most highly, while Harry Kane was included after what the Frenchman described as a very good season. Kylian Mbappé, meanwhile, completed the trio and remains one of the most obvious names in any conversation involving the leading individual players in world football.
The order is particularly notable because Dembélé did not hesitate to put Kvaratskhelia ahead of Kane and Mbappé. His comments suggest he believes the Georgian has done enough to deserve serious consideration when the voting begins, even in a field containing some of the biggest names in the game.
Dembélé did not explain his ranking in detail, but the inclusion of Kvaratskhelia as his first choice fits with the wider point he made throughout the interview. He expects a PSG player to win and clearly sees several members of the squad as legitimate contenders.
Dembele refuses to vote for himself
The most revealing part of the interview came when Dembélé was asked where he would place himself. Despite winning the award in 2025, he once again refused to include his own name.
“Me? I never include myself in these kinds of things,” he said. “I never vote for myself. If I am the one speaking, I do not vote for myself. Is that humility? Yes.”
The answer is consistent with the way Dembélé has approached individual recognition. Even after receiving the biggest personal award in football, he appears reluctant to campaign publicly for another one. His preference is to discuss teammates and rivals rather than make a case for himself.
That attitude does not necessarily mean he considers himself outside the race. As the defending winner and one of the most recognisable players in the PSG squad, his performances will naturally continue to be assessed alongside those of the other leading candidates. What Dembélé made clear, however, is that he does not want to be the person arguing for his own candidacy.
His response also added a slightly lighter tone to the discussion. When asked if his refusal to vote for himself was a matter of humility, Dembélé simply agreed. It was a short answer but one that reinforced the broader impression he wanted to give: personal awards matter, but he is more comfortable evaluating others than promoting himself.
Olise, Yamal and Fabian Ruiz also enter the discussion
Dembélé top three was not the end of the conversation. Asked about other possible contenders, he went on to mention Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Fabián Ruiz and Willian Pacho, making it clear that he sees the field as broader than the three names he initially selected.
Olise received particularly strong praise. Dembélé argued that the Bayern Munich player had produced an outstanding campaign and highlighted the fact that he had finished as the best player in the Bundesliga.
“Michael Olise could be there because he had an incredible season and finished as the best player in the Bundesliga,” Dembélé said.
The reference to Olise adds another French player to the conversation and shows that Dembélé is not limiting his assessment to PSG teammates or the most established global stars. He appears willing to reward players who have produced exceptional seasons even if they are not always the first names mentioned in Ballon d'Or discussions.
Lamine Yamal was another player briefly mentioned. Dembélé did not expand on the Barcelona forward in the same way as he did with Olise, but his inclusion among the possible contenders reflects the growing status of the young Spain international.
Fabián Ruiz was then added to the list, giving PSG another possible representative. Dembélé did not rank the Spanish midfielder in his top three, but his mention reinforced the idea that several players from the Parisian side could be recognised individually after another strong period for the club.
Dembele urges voters not to forget Pacho
Perhaps the most striking name introduced by Dembélé was Willian Pacho. Defenders often receive less attention in Ballon d'Or debates than forwards and attacking midfielders, but Dembélé specifically urged voters not to overlook the PSG centre-back.
“Pacho! I hope they do not forget about him this year. He deserves it,” Dembélé said.
The comment was brief but emphatic. By singling out Pacho, Dembélé made a point of recognising a player whose contribution may not always be reflected through goals, assists or attacking statistics. His message was clear: individual awards should not be restricted to the most visible attacking players when defenders can also have decisive seasons.
It also provided another example of how strongly Dembélé views the award through a PSG lens. Kvaratskhelia was his first choice, Fabián Ruiz was mentioned among the wider contenders and Pacho received a specific endorsement. For the 2025 winner, the depth of quality inside the squad makes it logical that the next recipient could once again come from Paris.
Messi left out of the race
Dembélé was also asked whether Lionel Messi should be considered among the leading candidates. His answer was negative. Rather than including his former PSG teammate, Dembélé immediately turned towards other names he believes have had stronger cases for the 2026 award.
That response further illustrated how focused his assessment is on the most recent season rather than reputation or past achievements. Messi remains one of the most decorated players in Ballon d'Or history, but Dembélé does not appear to view him as part of the leading group for this edition.
Instead, he chose to highlight players such as Olise, Yamal, Ruiz and Pacho, all of whom he feels deserve consideration based on their recent performances.
PSG strength shapes Dembele view
The central theme throughout Dembélé comments is the strength of PSG. His confidence that the award will remain with the club is not based on one individual alone. Rather, he sees several legitimate candidates inside the team, which in his view makes the outcome relatively straightforward compared with the more unpredictable picture described by others.
That is a significant position from the reigning winner. Having already experienced the process of becoming a Ballon d'Or recipient, Dembélé understands how much weight is placed on both individual performance and collective success. His belief that another PSG player should win suggests he feels the club has again produced enough at the highest level to dominate the discussion.
It is also notable that Dembélé did not use his status as the 2025 winner to place himself above the rest. Instead, he repeatedly pointed towards teammates and rivals, praising Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé before expanding the list to include several others.
The comments therefore combine confidence in PSG with a refusal to campaign for personal recognition. Dembélé appears comfortable allowing others to decide where he belongs in the race while offering his own assessment of the players he believes deserve attention.
A wide-open field despite Dembele confidence
Even though Dembélé insists the award is not particularly unpredictable, the range of names he mentioned suggests there is no shortage of serious contenders. Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé formed his personal top three, but Olise, Yamal, Fabián Ruiz and Pacho were all brought into the conversation as well.
That creates an interesting contradiction between the certainty of his prediction and the breadth of his shortlist. Dembélé believes the winner will come from PSG, but he also accepts that several players outside the club have produced seasons worthy of recognition.
The eventual vote will therefore depend on how individual performances are judged against collective achievements. Attackers such as Kane, Mbappé and Yamal are likely to attract considerable attention, while players such as Pacho may depend more heavily on voters placing value on defensive influence.
For Dembélé, however, the answer remains relatively simple. He expects the trophy to remain in Paris and sees Kvaratskhelia as the strongest candidate within his personal ranking.
Whether that prediction proves accurate will only become clear when the 2026 Ballon d'Or is awarded. For now, the reigning winner has made his position clear: he will not vote for himself, he believes PSG should produce the next winner and he does not want some of the less obvious candidates within the Parisian squad to be overlooked.
