'I'd deliver it to his house' – Mbappe backs Dembele for Ballon d'Or glory

Kylian Mbappe believes former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Ousmane Dembele deserves to win this year's Ballon d'Or, saying he would even personally deliver it to him. 

Dembele played a starring role under Luis Enrique as PSG lifted their first Champions League crown, while the Parisiens also won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France. 

The Frenchman recorded 46 goal involvements (33 goals, 13 assists) across all competitions in 2024-25, before netting twice en route to the Club World Cup final in the summer. 

Indeed, only Mohamed Salah (57), Raphinha (56) and Harry Kane (53) managed more, with Mbappe matching Dembele's total after a stellar first season at Real Madrid. 

Dembele also became the first player to provide two assists in a Champions League final since Marcelo against Liverpool in 2018, as PSG thrashed Inter 5-0 in Munich. 

Mbappe is also on the Ballon d'Or shortlist, along with Real Madrid team-mates Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.

The France captain became the highest-scoring Madrid player in their maiden campaign with the club, surpassing Ivan Zamorano's record of 37 from 1992-93 after finding the back of the net 43 times for Los Blancos in all competitions. 

But it is players from Madrid's Clasico rivals Barcelona who are expected to push Dembele for the crown, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal starring for Hansi Flick's team. 

Yamal plundered 18 goals and registered 21 assists for the Blaugrana, while also completing more dribbles (244) than any other player in Europe's top five leagues. 

Raphinha, meanwhile, equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League record from 2013-14 of 21 goal contributions in a single season in the competition.

Only eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi (14 in 2011-12) has scored more goals for Barcelona in a single campaign than Raphinha's 13, but Mbappe has backed compatriot Dembele to become the sixth French player to scoop the prestigious individual accolade. 

He said in an interview with TF1: "Does Ousmane Dembele deserve it? Of course. If it were up to me, I'd deliver it to his house.

"I hope Achraf Hakimi will be well-placed because we need to give defenders their due. Lamine Yamal? Well, no, he's a Barcelona player. But he's a very good player."

Mbappe and Madrid have started the 2025-26 season in fine form, with the 26-year-old netting three goals in Los Blancos' three games, all of which they have won. 

It marks a perfect start to life under Xabi Alonso, who returned to his former club this summer to replace Carlo Ancelotti. 

Having endured a trophyless campaign domestically in his debut year in the Spanish capital, Mbappe is confident that his team can turn things around to win more silverware this time around. 

"I had a great impression of him," Mbappe told BILD. You see a guy who wants to succeed. He knows the club perfectly because he played for Real Madrid himself.

"At the moment, we're just trying to implement what he tells us. We're trying to understand the game plan he has for us – and then we'll see what happens.

"Our start was good with three wins, of course, which is really positive, but we have to improve, we have to keep working, we have to keep pushing ourselves because we know how difficult it is to win trophies.

"I think we learned a lot from last season, but it's time to show what we've learned. Of course, that will take some time.

"This season is really important for the club, but we're also approaching the World Cup, so it's also important for every player who wants to get there, including me."