Dembele chooses the Ballon d'Or successor

Following his goal in PSG's 7-2 Champions League win against Leverkusen, Ousmane Dembele called on his teammates to keep up their performance and entrusted that Kylian Mbappe will claim the next Ballon d'Or.

Paris Saint-Germain demonstrated formidable strength in the Champions League by thrashing Bayer Leverkusen 7-2 away, solidifying their status as top contenders for this season's title. In this match, the current Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele made an impact by scoring after coming on as a substitute, but what drew more attention were his post-match comments.

Besides commenting on his personal performance and PSG’s impressive form, Dembele took time during the interview to praise his close French national teammate Kylian Mbappe. The 28-year-old striker stated: “I hope that one day Kylian Mbappé will bring the Ballon d'Or home. He deserves the career he has had.”

This statement came just weeks after Dembele was honored as the world’s best player in 2025, a reward for his outstanding season that helped PSG win the Champions League. Despite being in the spotlight, he showed humility and respect toward Mbappe — who for many years has been seen as an icon of French football.

Earlier, Dembele also sent a message to his PSG teammates following an extremely impressive match: “We just need to keep the pace in the second half. Scoring 7 goals is important, and the whole team must maintain this level. The season is only halfway through, and we need to keep our focus on both the Champions League and Ligue 1.” He admitted he has not yet reached his best physical condition but is confident he will soon return to peak form.

While Dembele shines in Paris and Mbappe continues to assert his status in Madrid, the trust PSG’s player places in his national teammate highlights the strong bond among France’s outstanding football talents.

Can Mbappe live up to that trust and become the next Ballon d'Or winner after Dembele?