Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé believes the Ballon d’Or race is not as open as many people suggest, insisting that the prestigious individual award could remain with a PSG player.
Dembélé, who is among the leading names in the conversation, said he expects another PSG player to win the award when the final results are announced.
“I don’t think this award is undecided. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player,” he told L’Équipe.
The French international was also asked to name his top three candidates for the award. Rather than giving a strict ranking, Dembélé selected Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé.
He praised Kane for what he described as a “very, very good season” and included Mbappé among the players he believes have strong claims to the prize.
Interestingly, Dembélé refused to include himself in his own selection. He said he does not vote for himself when making such choices.
“I never put myself in things like that. I never vote for myself,” he said.
The PSG star, however, believes several other players deserve consideration. He mentioned Michael Olise after what he described as an incredible campaign, highlighting the France international’s performances in the Bundesliga.
Dembélé also named Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal as another serious contender.
He further called for greater recognition for PSG defender Willian Pacho, insisting that the Ecuadorian should not be overlooked after his performances.
“Pacho… We forget about him, Pacho. I hope we don’t forget him this year because he deserves it,” Dembélé said.
