France's Ousmane Dembélé, the Paris Saint-Germain forward, has reopened the Ballon d'Or file with fresh comments insisting that his club team-mate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the man who most deserves the award in 2026.
Having won it himself last year, Dembélé sits on the list of thirty nominees for this year. But he would rather see his Georgian team-mate crowned, as he has said before.
Kvaratskhelia delivered an outstanding season. He fired Paris Saint-Germain to the UEFA Champions League title for the second year running, scoring 10 goals and providing 7 assists in 16 matches.
London hosts the ceremony on 26 October.
Speaking from the France national team camp to "the BBC", Dembélé said: "Kvaratskhelia honestly deserves it. He has delivered an exceptional season. And as they say, he dazzled too. What are the new criteria? Is it dazzling and impact? I think he meets the criteria."
That word "dazzling" nodded to an earlier remark from France's Kylian Mbappé: "The ability to produce an outstanding individual performance and dazzle is what leaves a mark on people when it comes to an award like the Ballon d'Or."
He added, according to "Foot Mercato": "Obviously, winning an individual award like the Ballon d'Or is exceptional. But when I joined Paris Saint-Germain, the main goal was to win the Champions League. We have won it twice, and we want to keep winning it. That is what matters most."
Dembélé went on: "The memories you leave with the fans and all the Parisians, that is the real victory. Just like the moments I have spent with my team-mates."
For years he carried a reputation as a gifted but inconsistent and injury-prone talent. That has changed radically since he joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he has won the Champions League twice and claimed the Ballon d'Or last year.
On that, Dembélé commented: "The mentality. As you get older, and specifically at 28, you mature more. And your footballing skills develop. I am not the same player I was at 20, when I was at Dortmund. Many things change."
He explained: "You want to score goals and create them, but over the years, I have focused mainly on being effective in everything I do on the pitch. And most importantly of all is helping the team."
Controversy had flared between the pair in recent days. Mbappé lit the fuse with a statement about the Ballon d'Or, when the Real Madrid star said: "Dembélé was always seen as a gifted player, whereas I, on the other hand, was always considered the chosen player."
Dembélé fired back quickly: "I was never seen as the chosen player, but I worked hard, and last year I was rewarded with a great season at Paris Saint-Germain."
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