Ballon d'Or: Al-Khelaïfi backs Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia and Ruiz, Yamal favourite on prediction markets

Less than a month before the Ballon d’Or ceremony, scheduled for October 26, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi took a stance in favour of his own players while paying tribute to Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal. The PSG president spoke on the sidelines of the European Club Association congress in Denmark.

When asked about his former striker, Al-Khelaïfi first sought to tread carefully. “You’re going to get me in trouble with the other clubs. I have great respect for all players like Kylian or Yamal. They are exceptional players. I know Kylian very well, obviously. He’s an incredible player, talented, and certainly one of the best in the world,” he said.

But the Paris executive quickly turned his preferences towards the Parc des Princes dressing room. He named three in-house candidates: Ousmane Dembélé, the defending champion, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Fabian Ruiz. “I would naturally choose one of my own players. We have three: Dembélé, Kvara and also Fabian Ruiz. Fabian Ruiz is the only one to have won all the trophies. So I think Dembélé, Kvara and Fabian Ruiz deserve it, because they have won everything. I think they played very well, they were fantastic.”

Ruiz’s case rests on a particularly dense 2023-24 record: a Ligue des Champions title with PSG and several trophies with the Spanish national team, including the Euros. Lamine Yamal can also rely on that continental success with La Roja, plus a remarkable club season at FC Barcelona. Harry Kane, meanwhile, dominated the Bundesliga debate with Bayern Munich throughout the season.

On Polymarket prediction markets, Yamal currently holds approximately 46% chances of winning the award, ahead of Kane at around 42%. Mbappé, whose first season at Real Madrid was disrupted by injuries, stands at less than 4%. The verdict will be delivered on October 26.