Who will win the 2026 Ballon d’Or? With just a few weeks to go before the prestigious award is presented, the debate over the favorites is heating up. Now Ousmane Dembélé has weighed in as well. The reigning winner sees two FC Bayern players as clear frontrunners.
In an interview with L’Équipe, Dembélé was asked about his personal favorites. The Frenchman deliberately chose to exclude himself from the list. Instead, he first named three other players.
“In no particular order: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane—he had a very good season. And I think Kylian Mbappé,” Dembélé explained.
This puts Harry Kane among the PSG star’s top contenders. Given last season’s performance, this assessment comes as no surprise. The Bayern striker scored a total of 73 goals across all competitions for the record champions and the English national team.
Kane himself makes no secret of the fact that he has his hopes set on the award. The 33-year-old recently stated: “Of course, it’s no longer in my hands now, but up to the voters and the decision-makers. My season was by far my best, and we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Dembélé also raves about Olise
However, Kane isn’t the only Munich player Dembélé has in mind in the race for the Ballon d’Or. Michael Olise has also caught the Frenchman’s eye.
“I don’t want to mention myself. Michael Olise could be in the running as well. He had an incredible season and was voted the Bundesliga’s best player,” the PSG star emphasized.
Olise has thus made a name for himself internationally in a very short time. His performances at FC Bayern have ensured that the winger is now considered one of Europe’s outstanding attacking players.
The fact that the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, of all people, is singling out Olise is a special recognition for the Bayern star. At the same time, Dembélé’s assessment underscores the standing the Frenchman now enjoys even outside the Bundesliga.
In addition to Kane, Olise, Kvaratskhelia, and Mbappé, Dembélé also gives Lamine Yamal, Fabian Ruiz, and Willian Pacho a shot.
Two Bayern stars have reason to be hopeful
From Munich’s perspective, the focus is primarily on Kane and Olise. Both were among the record champions’ most influential players last season and played a major role in winning the domestic double as well as reaching the Champions League semifinals.
Kane, in particular, can point to exceptional statistics. With 73 goals, the Englishman had the highest-scoring season of his career to date, reaching historic heights.
The forward himself recently even compared his numbers to the records set by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Now he’s receiving prominent support from Dembélé.
But Olise, too, has reason to be hopeful after his outstanding season. The fact that Dembélé included two Munich players in his personal selection shows the impression the Bayern stars’ performances have made internationally.
Who actually wins the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be decided at the awards ceremony on October 25. From Bayern’s perspective, the odds are certainly not bad for them to play a key role in this prestigious award.