Ballon d’Or: Tchouaméni reveals his three favorites, without Yamal or Kane

Aurélien Tchouaméni, a midfielder for Real Madrid and the France national team, has revealed his three favorites for the 2026 Ballon d’Or: Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise.

Asked by France 24 which player he would vote for if he had the opportunity, Tchouaméni admitted: “A difficult question, because many players deserve this award.”

The Madrid midfielder then named his three choices: “Kylian Mbappé had an exceptional season and I think he deserves it, just like Ousmane Dembélé after what he showed with Paris Saint-Germain and their latest Champions League triumph. There is also Michael Olise.”

Asked about the fact that his choices were exclusively French, Tchouaméni replied: "Yes, of course, the Ballon d’Or must go to France."

Dembélé, Mbappé, Olise: strong cases for the Ballon d’Or

The three players have impressive records. Ousmane Dembélé won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, while Mbappé ended the season with 50 goals and 10 assists for Real Madrid and the France national team. He also became the top scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals.

Michael Olise, meanwhile, was named the best player in the Bundesliga and provided seven assists at the World Cup, surpassing the previous record set by Brazilian legend Pelé.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on October 26 in London. The British capital will host the event for the first time, marking the 70th anniversary of the trophy’s creation.

Ballon d’Or 2026: Thomas Müller reveals his two favorites

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

Related teams and leagues

France

Real Madrid