Paris St-Germain won almost all before them last season, so it's no surprise the team's best are up for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The French and European champions have 10 players shortlisted for the greatest individual prize in football, which will be awarded at a ceremony in London on 26 October. While there can only be one winner, team-mates Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are backing each other to collect the prize.
Speaking exclusively to BBC Sport, they have even suggested sharing the award. "We can cut it in two," joked Dembele, before adding "honestly, he [Kvaratskhelia] deserves it, the season he had was exceptional". Kvaratskhelia told BBC Sport journalist Julien Laurens: "Of course it's him [Dembele], the season he had last year, he deserves it." The pair's reaction won't surprise PSG fans, who watched the duo ruthlessly and selflessly link up on countless occasions during their side's Champions League title defence last season.
So, how do they complement each other's game so well, and could the race for this year's Ballon d'Or be a PSG one-two? This could be year I win Ballon d'Or, says Mbappe When will Africa get its next Ballon d'Or winner? PSG made just one signing in January 2025, the last window before their first Champions League title later that year, and it was to bring in Kvaratskhelia for £59m from Napoli.
The then 23-year-old Georgia forward was already a hero in Naples, nicknamed 'Kvaradona' by supporters during Napoli's 2022-23 title-winning campaign. Full of flare, technically superb and forward-thinking, Kvaratskhelia's play was once compared to George Best by Italian legend Gianfranco Zola - although Kvaratskhelia himself cites Cristiano Ronaldo as his biggest inspiration. Like his idol, Kvaratskhelia has an impressive work-rate and winning mentality.
PSG have won 10 trophies out of a possible 12 since his transfer. "[He's] electric," team-mate Dembele told BBC Sport. "Every time he has the ball something can happen.
Every time he goes one v one, he provokes the opponent. "He has shown all his quality. Especially last season where he had a really, really good season.
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