Reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele has revealed his top three candidates for the 2026 award, with Kylian Mbappe included and Lamine Yamal left outside the leading trio.

Dembele names Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappe as Ballon d’Or top three

Reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele has named the three players he currently considers the strongest candidates for the 2026 award.

The Paris Saint-Germain star was asked to identify his leading contenders during a new France Football interview.

His answer immediately created debate.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe made the cut, while Lamine Yamal did not.

Dembele reveals his Ballon d’Or top three

Dembele made clear that his three choices were not listed in a specific order.

His leading trio consisted of:

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Harry Kane

Kylian Mbappe

Dembele particularly highlighted Kane’s season and described the Bayern Munich striker’s campaign in extremely positive terms.

His selection also gives Mbappe another significant endorsement following the Real Madrid forward’s own public Ballon d’Or comments.

Dembele expects Ballon d’Or to stay at PSG

The reigning winner went even further when discussing where he believes the award will end up.

Dembele said he believes the Ballon d’Or will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player.

That comment naturally places even greater attention on Kvaratskhelia.

The Georgian is the only PSG player included in Dembele’s top three.

That makes him the clearest club teammate Dembele appears to be backing among the leading candidates.

Mbappe gets major support from Dembele

Mbappe’s inclusion is particularly interesting because of the ongoing debate around his own candidacy.

The Real Madrid forward recently admitted that if he had a Ballon d’Or vote, he would choose himself.

He has argued that historic individual achievements deserve to be rewarded, even when the biggest team trophies are missing.

Dembele’s decision to include Mbappe in his top three suggests he agrees that the French captain’s individual level has been impossible to ignore.

Mbappe’s record-breaking World Cup performances have strengthened that case significantly.

Lamine Yamal misses out on top three

The most controversial omission is Lamine Yamal.

The Barcelona superstar has been widely discussed as one of the strongest Ballon d’Or contenders, but Dembele did not place him inside his leading three.

That does not mean Dembele dismissed Yamal’s chances completely.

He still named the youngster among a wider group of players deserving consideration.

But in Dembele’s personal ranking, Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappe currently sit ahead of him.

Olise and Pacho also receive praise

Dembele also mentioned several players outside his leading trio.

Michael Olise was one of the names to receive particularly strong praise.

Dembele described Olise as the best player in the Bundesliga following his outstanding performances for Bayern Munich.

The PSG forward also made a point of highlighting defender Willian Pacho.

Dembele believes defensive players are too often overlooked in individual award discussions and suggested Pacho deserves greater recognition.

Dembele refuses to vote for himself

Another fascinating detail from the interview was Dembele’s attitude toward his own candidacy.

Unlike Mbappe, Dembele said he would never vote for himself.

When asked whether he belonged in his own top three, the reigning winner rejected the idea.

He explained that he does not include himself when making rankings of this kind.

The contrast with Mbappe could hardly be clearer.

Mbappe has openly backed himself.

Dembele prefers to leave himself out.

Two very different approaches to Ballon d’Or race

The difference between the two France stars has added another layer to the Ballon d’Or debate.

Mbappe believes openly acknowledging personal ambition is completely normal, while Dembele has taken a much more reserved approach.

Neither position necessarily changes how voters will decide.

But it does show how differently elite players can approach football’s biggest individual prize.

Ballon d’Or race continues to take shape

Dembele’s selections have now added another major opinion to a race that remains wide open.

Kvaratskhelia has the backing of the reigning Ballon d’Or winner.

Kane remains firmly in the conversation.

Mbappe continues to receive support despite the lack of major team trophies.

And Yamal remains one of the biggest names outside Dembele’s top three.

With the final vote still ahead, the debate over who deserves the 2026 Ballon d’Or is only becoming more intense.