Dembélé names Kvaratskhelia as his successor for 2026 Ballon d'Or

Ousmane Dembélé has made his prediction: the 2026 Ballon d’Or will not leave Paris Saint-Germain. In an interview with France Football, the defending champion has named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as his natural successor, just weeks before the ceremony scheduled for 26 October in London.

“I don’t think the Ballon d’Or is undecided. It will stay in the hands of a PSG player,” said the French striker, before explicitly naming the Georgian international. Kvaratskhelia has had an almost perfect season in the Paris colours, establishing himself as one of Europe’s most decisive players.

Dembélé himself remains in contention to retain his trophy, which he won in 2025 after an exceptional season that notably included PSG’s second consecutive Ligue des Champions title. The list of 30 nominees for this 2026 edition is particularly strong: Kylian Mbappé, Fabian Ruiz, Harry Kane and Lionel Messi are among the serious contenders.

When asked about the potential awkwardness of competing with teammates and friends from the France national team, the Frenchman brushes off the question. “No, not really. May the best man win. Anyway, it’s not us who vote. We don’t talk about it at all between us. We were more focused on winning the Ligue des Champions or the World Cup. I’m not afraid of losing my trophy. That’s football. It’s never been an obsession. An objective or a dream, yes, but not an obsession,” he said.

If Dembélé’s prediction proves correct, Kvaratskhelia would become the first Georgian player to win the most prestigious individual award in world football.