Ousmane Dembélé is the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, and while he is among the 30 nominees again this year, he is not the favorite to achieve a historic back-to-back win.

The French superstar from Paris Saint-Germain spoke about the effort he has put in throughout his career to reach the top, while leaving everything… wide open regarding this year’s award winner.

“I was never the ‘chosen one,’ but I worked really hard. Last year I was rewarded with the Ballon d’Or; this year… we’ll see. I was always at the back of the class; I always worked hard. Throughout my entire career, I haven’t said a word—just hard work,” Dembélé said, among other things.

Ousmane Dembélé: “I was NEVER the ‘chosen one,’ yes… but I worked a lot.”

““Last year I was rewarded… this year, we’ll see.”

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“I’ve always been at the back of the class, always working hard.”

“All my career, I didn’t say a word… I always worked hard,” he told Canal Plus. pic.twitter.com/apubvAzXLP

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 13, 2026

*photo source: AP