Ousmane Dembélé has revealed his top three candidates for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with the Paris Saint-Germain star naming three high-profile attackers he believes deserve to be in contention for football’s most prestigious individual prize.
The French international, while speaking in an interview to L’Équipe, selected his teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé as his three favourites. The Frenchman’s choices come as the race for this year’s award continues to attract significant attention.
Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé make Dembélé’s list
Kvaratskhelia earns his place after another impressive campaign at PSG, where his creativity, goals and ability to influence important matches have made him one of Europe’s standout attackers.
Harry Kane has also been among the leading contenders following another prolific season. The Bayern Munich striker has continued to demonstrate his goalscoring ability and consistency at the highest level.
Mbappé, meanwhile, remains a familiar name in the Ballon d’Or conversation. The Real Madrid forward enjoyed another strong campaign and remains regarded as one of the world’s best players.
Interestingly, Dembélé did not include himself among his three selections despite being the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. His choices highlight the quality of competition he expects to face as players battle for the 2026 award.
With the Ballon d’Or ceremony approaching, the final shortlist is expected to generate plenty of debate among fans and football experts, particularly over whether Dembélé’s three picks are justified.