Dembele Names Top 3 Ballon d'Or Candidates for 2026

Ousmane Dembele, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, has predicted his top three candidates for the 2026 edition of the prestigious award. He identified Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, striker Harry Kane, and France captain Kylian Mbappe as the frontrunners.

Dembele, who is currently with Barcelona, expressed that the 2026 award should again be claimed by a PSG player, especially after the club's successful defense of their Champions League title. He made these remarks to a French sports outlet and acknowledged other strong contenders, including Lamine Yamal, Pancho, Fabian Ruiz, and Michael Olise, while notably omitting last year's contender Rodri from his list.

Dembele refrained from including himself among the favorites, stating he prefers to leave such discussions to the voters. The nominees for the award are set to be announced on September 8, with the ceremony scheduled for October 26 in London.