The former Germany international feels Dembélé’s success in winning the UEFA Champions League with PSG gives him a major advantage in the race for football’s most prestigious individual honour, as the winger looks to become a back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner.
However, Matthäus does not expect Dembélé’s France teammate Kylian Mbappé or Spain midfielder Rodri to take home the award despite their outstanding performances on the international stage.
Writing in his Sky Sports column, Matthäus highlighted the impact of team achievements in determining the Ballon d’Or winner.
“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,” the former midfielder said.
He added: “Due to Spain’s team performance, the competition is very open. I think Dembélé has an advantage, having won the Champions League again with PSG.”
Matthäus also explained why he believes Mbappé could miss out on the award despite finishing as the FIFA World Cup’s leading goalscorer.
“Mbappé 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,” he stated.
The German legend also mentioned Bayern Munich duo Michael Olise and Harry Kane among the players who impressed throughout the season. According to Matthäus, both players enjoyed exceptional campaigns after helping Bayern secure domestic success while also reaching the latter stages of the World Cup.
“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,” Matthäus said.
With several elite players competing for the award, the 2026 Ballon d’Or race is expected to be one of the most closely contested in recent years, with Champions League success likely to play a significant role in deciding the winner.