2026 Ballon d’Or: Dembele Names Two Players Who Should Share Award

Ousmane Dembele has suggested sharing the 2026 Ballon d’Or with Paris Saint-Germain teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after both players were named among the 30 nominees for the prestigious award.

The PSG forwards enjoyed a successful year with the French champions, helping the club win both the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League during the period under review.

Dembele praised Kvaratskhelia during an interview with BBC Sport, describing the Georgian international as a “dazzling and incredible” player who has proven himself at the highest level.

With both players in contention for the individual prize, Dembele offered a humorous solution to the possibility of one of them missing out.

“The Ballon d’Or? We’ll just cut it in half,” he said.

The pair face competition from several of the world’s leading players for the award, which will be presented on October 6, 2026.

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal is also among the nominees and has received backing from Netherlands head coach Xavi Hernandez.

Xavi, who previously coached Yamal at Barcelona, believes the 19-year-old has a strong chance of winning the award this year.

Speaking to SPORT at the KNVB headquarters in Zeist ahead of his managerial debut against Germany in the Nations League on Thursday, Xavi described Yamal as a special player.

He said, “Lamine is special, he’s different, he’s 19, and he will undoubtedly win it [2026 Ballon d’Or], but this would be a good year for him to win it now.”