Dembélé hands Ballon d’Or to Kvaratskhelia, eyes the real prize

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·24 September 2026

Dembélé hands Ballon d’Or to Kvaratskhelia, eyes the real prize

Ousmane Dembélé, the 29-year-old forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team, answered questions from BBC Sport in an interview broadcast recently. He was notably asked to name his winner for the 2026 Ballon d’Or and to discuss the goal of winning a third straight Champions League title. The French international also explained where he has improved the most.

Dembélé: “As they say, he dazzled people too.”

The 2026 Ballon d’Or? It’s Kvaratskhelia for the Ballon d’Or! Honestly, he deserves it. He had an exceptional season. As they say, he dazzled people too. Would you like to win it again? Winning an individual award like the Ballon d’Or is obviously exceptional.

Dembélé: “we want to keep winning it. That’s the most important thing.”

Another Champions League? When I signed for PSG, the main objective was to win the Champions League. We’ve won it twice and we want to keep winning it. That’s the most important thing. The memories you leave with the supporters and all Parisians, that’s the real victory. Just like the moments spent with my teammates.

Dembélé: “Mentality.”

Where have you improved the most? Mentality. As you get older, at 28, you become much more mature. You improve in your football. I’m no longer the same player I was at 20, when I was at Dortmund. A lot of things change. You want to score goals and provide assists, but over the years, I’ve mainly tried to be efficient in everything I do on the pitch. And the most important thing is still helping the team.

We know that the Ballon d’Or stirs up a lot of passion and debate, so Dembélé’s choice will no doubt spark reactions in every direction. At the very least, it seems logical that the player voted best player in the Champions League should be among the favorites for this famous individual trophy. Especially since the World Cup did not produce a clear favorite, at least in terms of entertainment. Although it can also be pointed out that Fabián Ruiz (the 30-year-old midfielder) won both competitions.

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In any case, like Dembélé, we prefer to think about the team and the trophies to be won on the pitch. That is coach Luis Enrique’s philosophy, and it seems to be firmly established among his players. That is also how PSG became so strong and managed to move forward. That is what will truly remain in history: the images of those European matches and of a team accomplishing something very great. And it may not be over yet, since a third straight title is in their sights.

It will once again be built on the team, as well as immense individual talent of course. Including Dembélé, who has truly reached another level. Many have talked about his move into a more central role, which obviously plays a part. But above all, it is his mindset, with greater seriousness and effort. While also thinking even more about being effective on the pitch rather than producing spectacular moves that may be less useful. It is a real success for coach Luis Enrique, with players who truly play for the team. Let’s hope it can last.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.