Ballon d’Or 2026: ‘He has an advantage’ – Lothar Matthäus names player to win award

Bayern Munich legend, Lothar Matthäus, has tipped Paris Saint-Germain forward, Ousmane Dembele to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

Matthäus believes Dembele has an advantage to win a back-to-back Ballon d’Or because he won the UEFA Champions League with PSG last season.

He, however, ruled out Dembele’s France teammate Kylian Mbappe and also Spain captain Rodri from winning the coveted Ballon d’Or.

In his column for Sky Sports, the former Germany international said, “Rodri was the commander of the FIFA World Cup-winning team, but I don’t think he will win the Ballon d’Or this year.

“Due to Spain’s team performance, the competition is very open. I think Dembele has an advantage, having won the Champions League again with PSG.

“Mbappe was the top scorer in the FIFA World Cup, but he didn’t win any titles with Real Madrid. I would be surprised if he won the Ballon d’Or.

“Olise has performed exceptionally well at Bayern, providing the most assists in both the Bundesliga and the FIFA World Cup. He and Harry Kane, the Bundesliga’s top scorer, won the double with Bayern, and both reached the FIFA World Cup semifinals.”