Aurélien Tchouaméni, the Real Madrid and France midfielder, has nominated three of his compatriots to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or, insisting that the award should return to France.
Asked in an interview with "France 24" which player he would give his vote to, Tchouaméni said: "A difficult question, as there are many players who deserve it."
He continued: "Kylian Mbappé had an exceptional season, and I think he deserves it, as does Ousmane Dembélé after what he produced with Paris, and his crowning once again in the UEFA Champions League. There is also Michael Olise."
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Pressed on whether his choices were limited to French players, he replied: "Yes, of course, the Ballon d'Or should return to France."
This year's ceremony, the 70th edition, takes place on 26 October at the Palladium theatre in London. The British capital hosts it for the first time, in tribute to Stanley Matthews, the first winner of the award in 1956.
Dembélé defends his title after lifting the 2025 award, when he became the sixth Frenchman to win it.
Each member of the trio named by Tchouaméni has a strong case. Dembélé led Paris Saint-Germain to retain the Champions League title, beating Arsenal on penalties in the Budapest final, and he himself scored the penalty that secured the equaliser.
Mbappé finished the season with 50 goals and 10 assists for Real Madrid and France, and became the all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 22 goals. His season, though, brought no titles. Olise, meanwhile, was crowned the best player in the Bundesliga and broke Pelé's record for assists in a single World Cup edition, with 7.