How PSG's Dembele and Kvaratskhelia are pushing each other toward the Ballon d'Or

Paris St-Germain won almost everything on offer last season, so it comes as little surprise that the club has ten players on the shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The award, regarded as football's most prestigious individual prize, will be presented at a ceremony in London on 26 October — a venue chosen to honour the first-ever winner, England's Sir Stanley Matthews, as the prize marks its 70th anniversary this year.

Speaking to BBC Sport, PSG forwards Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia each named the other as deserving of the award, even joking about the possibility of splitting it between them. Kvaratskhelia finished last season as the Champions League's best player, contributing 10 goals and six assists, and became the first player to score or assist in seven consecutive knockout appearances in a single Champions League campaign. The Georgian forward joined PSG in January 2025 for £59m from Napoli, where fans had nicknamed him 'Kvaradona'.

Dembele, the reigning Ballon d'Or holder, racked up 31 goal contributions last season, a rate bettered only by Harry Kane among players in Europe's top five leagues. For France, he scored six goals in ten appearances during 2026 as the team reached the World Cup semi-finals. Both players say they understand each other's game well, which has allowed them to combine effectively on the pitch.

Other contenders for the award include Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, considered the favourite after scoring 61 goals for his club last season, along with Barcelona pair Lamine Yamal and Rodri, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, and Argentina's Lionel Messi, who is chasing a ninth Ballon d'Or. Also on the list is another PSG player, Ferran Torres, who scored Spain's winning goal in the World Cup final.