Ousmane Dembélé believes the 2026 Ballon d’Or is likely to remain in Paris, but the reigning winner has deliberately left himself out of his own shortlist while highlighting Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé as his leading candidates.
Ousmane Dembélé has suggested that the 2026 Ballon d’Or could remain with a Paris Saint-Germain player, as the French forward offered an unusually broad assessment of the leading contenders for this year’s prize.
Speaking to L’Équipe, Dembélé, who won the 2025 Ballon d’Or after an outstanding campaign with PSG, said he did not believe the destination of this year’s award was particularly uncertain.
“I don’t think this award is undecided. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player.”
The statement carries particular weight because PSG have once again supplied a large contingent to the 2026 shortlist. The official Ballon d’Or website confirms Dembélé is among this year’s nominees, alongside several of his PSG teammates.
However, rather than placing himself at the centre of the discussion, Dembélé identified three players — Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé — as his personal leading contenders.
He also deliberately excluded himself from consideration.
“Me? Oh no, I never put myself in things like that. I never vote for myself.”
That modesty does not mean Dembélé lacks a case. He enters the 2026 award race as the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, having claimed the 2025 prize after helping PSG to a historic season. ESPN notes that Dembélé scored 33 goals during that campaign and was a central figure in PSG’s historic European treble.
Dembélé’s prediction comes at a time when PSG have an unusually strong presence among the 2026 nominees. The Champions League holders have several players on the men’s shortlist, including Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia, Willian Pacho, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Fabián Ruiz.
That strength explains why Dembélé believes the trophy could remain in Paris. Kvaratskhelia, whom Dembélé affectionately referred to as “Kvara”, is particularly significant to his assessment. The Georgian winger has been part of PSG’s attacking arsenal and is competing for an award that his teammate believes should stay within the club’s ranks.
Dembélé’s prediction also comes against a backdrop in which PSG’s European success has placed several of their players firmly in the Ballon d’Or conversation.
Kane’s 73-goal season impossible to ignore
Dembélé’s inclusion of Harry Kane underlines how difficult it is to overlook the Bayern Munich striker’s extraordinary 2025/26 campaign.
Kane scored 61 goals in 51 competitive appearances for Bayern Munich, while adding 12 goals for England to finish the season with 73 goals for club and country. The achievement placed him among the most prolific individual campaigns of the modern era. The England captain also finished the Bundesliga season with 36 goals, the league’s leading total.
Kane is therefore entering the Ballon d’Or race with one of the strongest statistical cases, even though Dembélé’s prediction of a PSG winner suggests the Bayern striker may face competition from players whose clubs enjoyed greater success on the biggest stages.
Mbappé remains firmly in contention
Kylian Mbappé is another obvious name in Dembélé’s selection. The Real Madrid forward is again among the nominees after a remarkable 2025/26 season and an historic 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mbappé finished the World Cup as its top scorer and became the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, strengthening a case built around individual production and international achievement.
He has also openly argued that he deserves the award, saying recently that he believes he has a case because of his record-breaking World Cup campaign.
That makes Dembélé’s decision to include him significant: despite Mbappé’s move away from Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner still regards his former PSG teammate as one of the players capable of taking the award.
Dembélé refuses to forget Olise
Dembélé did not limit his praise to the three players he initially selected.
He specifically mentioned Michael Olise, describing the Bayern Munich winger’s season as “incredible.”
That assessment is supported by Olise’s numbers.
The France international scored 15 goals and supplied 19 assists in the 2025/26 Bundesliga, becoming the first player since 2019/20 to register at least 15 goals and 15 assists in a Bundesliga season. He was also voted the league’s Player of the Season.
Olise subsequently carried that form into the World Cup, where he became France’s creative force and finished as the tournament’s leading assist provider. Bundesliga’s official review says he supplied seven assists at the tournament and broke Pelé’s long-standing World Cup assist record.
Dembélé’s description of Olise as a potential Ballon d’Or candidate therefore reflects a player whose individual numbers and international influence have become difficult to overlook.
Yamal and Pacho also receive Dembélé’s backing
Dembélé also mentioned Lamine Yamal among the players who could feature prominently in the voting.
The Barcelona teenager is once again on the shortlist and remains one of the most prominent young players in world football. (
But perhaps the most revealing part of Dembélé’s comments was his insistence that people should not overlook PSG defender Willian Pacho.
“We forget about him, Pacho. I hope we don’t forget about him this year because he deserves it.”
Pacho is among the 2026 nominees, giving PSG another representative in a race increasingly shaped by the club’s European success.
Dembélé also mentioned Fabián Ruiz, another PSG teammate, further illustrating the depth of PSG’s representation.
A Ballon d’Or race with no clear consensus
The 2026 contest is developing into a particularly open race.
Dembélé’s comments reflect that uncertainty: while he predicts the award will remain in Paris, his personal list extends across PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The official 30-player shortlist includes defending champion Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia, Kane, Mbappé, Olise, Yamal, Pacho, Fabián Ruiz, Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland and several other leading figures.
The winner will be announced at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on October 26, 2026, marking the first time the prestigious ceremony will be held in the British capital. UEFA has confirmed the date and location.
For Dembélé, however, the central prediction is already clear. He believes the Ballon d’Or will remain in Paris — even if he refuses to nominate himself for the honour.