Ballon d'Or 2026: "He deserves it", Ousmane Dembélé has made his choice

The Parisian has named his clear favorite

Ballon d'Or Today at 05:12

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Ballon d'Or 2026: "He deserves it", Ousmane Dembélé has made his choice

Ousmane Dembélé has spoken out again about the 2026 Ballon d'Or. Last year's winner is backing a fellow Parisian for the award.

In an interview with the BBC, Ousmane Dembélé was asked to name his favorite for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The Paris Saint-Germain forward named his teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (25, 5 Ligue 1 appearances this season). "Honestly, he deserves it. He has had an exceptional season. As they say, he has dazzled everyone," said the French international forward.

Ousmane Dembélé n'oublie pas ses coéquipiers dans la conquête de son Ballon d’Or... et tient notamment à souligner le rôle de Bradley Barcola. 🤝🌕❤️💙

« Oui, le Ballon d'Or est une récompense individuelle mais aussi collective, parce que l’un ne va pas sans l’autre.

On ne… pic.twitter.com/bkIyUV2vIU
— Instant Foot ⚽️ (@lnstantFoot) September 23, 2026

This latest statement echoes comments made by Kylian Mbappé in a recent interview with RFI. "It is an individual trophy, and I think that is what should take precedence over everything else. Of course, you mustn't erase everything else, but the ability to perform individually and dazzle people is what leaves an impression for a trophy like this," the France captain said about the Ballon d'Or.

The media campaign is continuing and will intensify over the coming days.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.