Ousmane Dembele Names His Top 3 2026 Ballon d’Or Favourites Ahead of Nominees Announcement
- Current Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele shared his picks for the 2026 award in an interview with L'Equipe
- Dembele named PSG teammate Kvaratskhelia, Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe as his top three contenders
- The French winger also left out Lionel Messi and Rodri from his list of key contenders for the prize
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Ousmane Dembele, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, has shared his predictions for who should claim the 2026 edition of football's most prestigious individual award, singling out three players he believes are best placed to take the prize.
Dembele, who won the 2025 Ballon d'Or ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal following a remarkable season in which PSG claimed six trophies, said he believes the 2026 prize should again go to a PSG player after the club successfully defend their Champions League title.
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Dembele names Ballon d'Or top 3
Speaking to French sports outlet L'Equipe, Dembele named Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, and France captain Kylian Mbappe as his top three candidates for the award.
Beyond his top three, Dembele also acknowledged other strong contenders in the race, including Yamal, Pancho, Fabian Ruiz, and Michael Olise. Notably absent from his full list were Ballon d'Or legends Lionel Messi and last year's contender Rodri.
The PSG forward was careful not to include himself among the favourites, saying he does not involve himself in such discussions and prefers to leave the decision entirely to voters.
The Ballon d'Or nominees are due to be announced on September 8, with the award ceremony scheduled to take place in London on October 26.
Mbappe makes case for himself
Legit.ng previously reported that French forward Kylian Mbappe made a strong case for himself to win his first Ballon d'Or award in 2026.
The Real Madrid star claimed that individual awards should reward brilliant individual performances, which he believes he had last season.
Source: Legit.ng
