Dembélé Backs PSG to Retain Ballon d'Or as 30-Man Shortlist Features 10 Parisians
AM730 · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Paris Saint-Germain striker Ousmane Dembélé, last year's Ballon d'Or victor, has thrown down the gauntlet by declaring there is "no suspense" surrounding the 2026 award, firmly believing the trophy will remain in the French capital . The bold claim arrives as the 30-man shortlist for world football's highest individual honour was unveiled on September 8, with PSG accounting for a remarkable one-third of all nominees . Among the ten Parisians shortlisted are Dembélé himself, Georgian sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and World Cup hero Ferran Torres . Real Madrid have four candidates including Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, while Lamine Yamal of Barcelona features in both the main and Young Player categories . The 70th anniversary ceremony will be staged in London on October 26, honouring the first Ballon d'Or won by England's Stanley Matthews .
Key Points
- The Ballon d'Or 30-man shortlist was officially released on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, with PSG providing exactly one-third of all candidates .
- PSG's ten nominees include Ousmane Dembélé, Khvica Kvaratskhelia, Ferran Torres, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, William Pacho, Fabian Ruiz, and Vitinha .
- Dembélé told France Football he believes the award "will certainly continue to stay in Paris" and named Mbappé, Harry Kane, and Kvaratskhelia as his personal top three .
- Real Madrid placed four players on the shortlist — Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, Marc Cucurella, and Jude Bellingham — while Barcelona's Lamine Yamal appears in both the main and Young Player categories .
- Arsenal's defensive duo Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba earned recognition alongside Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Erling Haaland of Manchester City .
Why It Matters
With PSG having already produced the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner in Dembélé, the club's dominance of the 2026 shortlist signals a potential dynastic shift in European football's individual awards . Dembélé's confident declaration — coupled with PSG's enviable roster of nominees — reflects a growing confidence within the Parisian project and could reshape how the Ballon d'Or race is perceived in the years ahead .
With PSG having already produced the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner in Dembélé, the club's dominance of the 2026 shortlist signals a potential dynastic shift in European football's individual awards . Dembélé's confident declaration — coupled with PSG's enviable roster of nominees — reflects a growing confidence within the Parisian project and could reshape how the Ballon d'Or race is perceived in the years ahead .