Including Bayern star! Defending champion Ousmane Dembele names his three favourites for the Ballon d'Or

Ousmane Dembele believes the Ballon d'Or will once again go to PSG this year and reveals his three top favourites for the award.

Defending champion Ousmane Dembele has named his three leading Ballon d'Or favourites and also gave a mention to a Bayern Munich superstar. He does not, however, want to place himself in the wider group of contenders for football's most prestigious award.

"No, I never get involved in things like that. I never vote for myself," Dembele explained in France Football. Dembele won the World Player of the Year vote last season ahead of Lamine Yamal and PSG team-mate Vitinha.

Instead, Dembele picked out the players he sees as the strongest candidates. "In no order: Kvara (Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, editor's note), Harry Kane, who had a very, very good season, and I think Kylian Mbappe!"

According to Dembele, though, there are "many others as well. Michael Olise could be in there because he had an incredible season. He was the best player in the Bundesliga. Lamine Yamal too. Fabian Ruiz, Pacho... It's easy to forget Pacho. I hope people don't forget him this year, because he deserves it."

Dembele: Ballon d'Or? "Will remain in the hands of a PSG player"

Fresh from winning the Champions League again with PSG, the Frenchman does not believe "that the decision over this trophy is still open. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player."

Elsewhere, Real superstar Mbappe has already declared his ambition to win the Ballon d'Or and described himself "as the best player in the world". That brought fierce criticism from a France legend, who called his remarks "childish and pathetic".