Ousmane Dembélé names the best player in the world: 'He deserves the Ballon d'Or'

Ousmane Dembélé has made it clear who he thinks should win this year's Ballon d'Or. The 2025 winner of the prestigious award has thrown his full support behind Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. "He is the best player in the world," said Dembélé.

Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia were asked about the upcoming Ballon d'Or vote during a joint interview for Ligue 1+. Both PSG stars strongly backed each other as the favourite.

Kvaratskhelia said: "The way Ousmane plays and helps the team, and the way he leads the side, is very important for us," said the Georgian. "The way he is, that is incredible. We are simply very happy to have him in our team."

For his part, Dembélé left no doubt about how highly he rates Kvaratskhelia. "I would be very happy, because he deserves it," says Dembélé. "The season he has had was exceptional. For me, he is the best player in the world and that is why he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or."

The Frenchman now knows what it feels like to win the Ballon d'Or. He took the award in 2025 and is again among the nominees this year.

At the bookmakers, though, neither PSG star currently tops the market. Harry Kane is the clear favourite for the Ballon d'Or, with Lamine Yamal second and Kylian Mbappé completing the top three.

That leaves Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé as outsiders for the award.