Reigning Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembele has publicly supported his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as a deserving candidate for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Both players are among the 30 official nominees for the award, with the winner scheduled to be unveiled in London on October 26.
The duo were instrumental in PSG’s successful defense of their Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League titles last season. Kvaratskhelia, 25, recorded 19 goals and 11 assists across 48 appearances, including 10 goals and seven assists in 16 Champions League matches. He notably set up Dembele for a vital equalizer against Arsenal in the tournament final, helping Luis Enrique’s side secure the trophy through a penalty shootout.
Dembele also enjoyed a productive 2025-26 campaign, contributing 20 goals and 11 assists in 40 games, with eight of those goals and two assists coming in 13 European outings. Despite his own strong form, the French international insists his teammate has earned the recognition.
Conversely, Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has argued the award should return to the Bernabeu. Mbappe, 27, is one of four Madrid nominees alongside Marc Cucurella, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Junior. He finished the previous season with 42 goals for Los Blancos, leading both La Liga and the Champions League scoring charts. Additionally, Mbappe was the top scorer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with 10 goals, a tournament won by Cucurella’s Spain. Currently, Mbappe has already tallied eight goals this season, seven of which were scored in La Liga play. The report also notes that in my view, he deserves this” – Ousmane Dembele believes PSG teammate should win 2026 Ballon d’Or. The report also notes that the Frenchman contributed 20 goals and 11 assists in 40 games across competitions, although he didn’t quite replicate his numbers from a season before.
