Current Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembélé has revealed his top three candidates for the upcoming 2026 award, making a few surprising inclusions ahead of the official shortlist reveal.
Speaking in an interview with L’Équipe, the PSG winger backed his club teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia alongside Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane and France captain Kylian Mbappé.
When asked about his picks for football’s biggest individual honor, Dembélé said:
”Kvara, and Harry Kane who had a very, very good season, and I think Kylian Mbappé.”
Dembélé completely ruled himself out of the running for a second consecutive crown, refusing to throw his own name into the mix. He also shouted out dark horses like Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Fabián Ruiz, and Willian Pacho while leaving out the likes of Lionel Messi and Rodri from his primary list.
