Ousmane Dembélé ready to hand Ballon d’Or crown to Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé

Ousmane Dembélé made it clear who he’s rooting for to win soccer’s most prestigious individual award. Speaking to reporters after scoring in PSG’s 7-2 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, the French winger said he hopes to see Kylian Mbappé take home the Ballon d’Or.

“Mbappé for the Ballon d’Or? Yes, I hope so. He deserves it for his career,” Dembélé said. “He’s had a great start to the season and just keeps scoring. He’s a friend, and I hope he keeps going like this. I really hope he wins it someday.”

Dembélé’s praise for his friend and former teammate Mbappé

Dembélé, recently crowned the world’s best player after winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or on September 22, was asked about Mbappé following his return to action. The winger said the Real Madrid attacker was one of the first to congratulate him after the award ceremony, a gesture that highlighted the close bond the two share from their time together at Paris Saint-Germain and with the French national team.

Despite the title of “best player in the world,” Dembélé insisted that daily life at PSG remains business as usual. “Nothing has changed with the coaching staff or the players,” he said. “Life at the training center is the same.”

PSG star’s quick return to form

Dembélé made his long-awaited return on Tuesday after being sidelined since September 5 due to an injury suffered while playing for France against Ukraine. Entering the match in the 63rd minute, he needed only two minutes to find the back of the net, proof that neither the setback nor his new global status has altered his focus.

The Frenchman’s goal capped off a dominant performance as PSG crushed Leverkusen 7-2, marking his comeback as one of the team’s biggest positives of the night.

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