Dembélé, the current winner of the award, responded to a statement made by his French teammate, who claimed that Dembélé was always considered a talented player, while he himself was treated as "the chosen one". Dembélé denied this, saying "I was never 'the chosen one', but I worked a lot. And last year I was rewarded." This response came after the PSG's victory over Brest, with Dembélé reiterating that he prefers to let his work speak for itself. He has worked hard throughout his career and never sought this kind of protagonism.
The dispute for the Bola de Ouro is expected to be intense, with Dembélé, the winner of the 2025 edition, having won the Champions League with PSG again. Mbappé is also a candidate, while Lamine Yamal has gained strength after being world champion with Spain and winning LaLiga with Barcelona. The winner of the award will be announced on 26 October.