Current Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembélé and his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have publicly backed each other for this year’s prestigious individual award. The highly anticipated ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26th.
Dembélé, who lifted the trophy last year, is considered one of the leading contenders to retain the Ballon d’Or. However, the French international expressed his hope that a fellow Paris Saint-Germain player would claim the prize, specifically naming Kvaratskhelia.
“I hope that a Parisien will win the Ballon d’Or and especially Kvara, who had an incredible season with PSG,” Dembélé stated in an interview with Ligue 1 Plus. “He made a difference in all of the big matches. He had a great season. We hope that it will be either me or him.”
In response, the Georgia international reciprocated the sentiment, indicating his vote would go to Dembélé. “I think that, if I could vote, I would vote for Ousmane,” Kvaratskhelia told Ligue 1 Plus. “He was there to support us and help the team.”
The mutual admiration between the two forwards extends beyond the pitch. Kvaratskhelia highlighted their strong understanding, stating, “We understand each other very well, even off the pitch. It is very easy to understand how he plays football.” Dembélé also praised his teammate’s quality, recalling that he knew Kvaratskhelia from his time at Rubin Kazan before his move to Napoli and then PSG.
Paris Saint-Germain boasts a record nine nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or, underscoring the club’s strong presence among Europe’s elite. Alongside Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia, other prominent contenders for the award include Kylian Mbappé, Fabián Ruiz, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, and Michael Olise.