Zabarnyi praises Dembélé and backs him to win the Ballon d'Or for the second time in a row

Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi, a player for Paris Saint-Germain, has expressed his support for his French teammate Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d'Or holder, in his quest to win the award for the second consecutive time.

Zabarnyi's comments came nine days before the award ceremony, where he confirmed that the team has many players who deserve to win it. He emphasized his desire to see one of the players from Paris Saint-Germain claim this title, in appreciation of their outstanding performances.

Zabarnyi said: "There are many players who deserve this award, and Ousmane is one of them. So, I really hope to see one of our players win the Ballon d'Or, because they deserve it."

The Ukrainian defender praised after Paris Saint-Germain's 3-1 victory over Strasbourg on Saturday in Ligue 1, a match in which Ousmane Dembélé assisted the equalizing goal scored by Zabarni, before the French star himself scored the go-ahead goal.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony for 2026 is set to take place on October 26 in London, with competition among the top football stars for the most prestigious individual award.