"You will be the winner, God willing": Dembélé tips an Algerian star to claim the 2027 Ballon d'Or

The French star offers major support to Maza

Ousmane Dembélé had a message for Algeria's Ibrahim Maza. The Paris Saint-Germain star, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2025, backed the Bayer Leverkusen player after the pair met at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on Monday evening.

Dembélé finished seventh in the race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, while Maza came ninth among the contenders for best young player, the award that went to Barcelona star Lamine Yamal for the third time in a row.

Maza posted photos from the ceremony on his Instagram account, and he made sure to include a snap alongside Dembélé, writing "greatest respect".

The French star replied in the comments. "You will be the next winner of the Ballon d'Or, God willing," he wrote.