New Ballon d'Or favourite revealed after Kane, Olise, Yamal exit from UCL

Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the 2025-26 Champions League final with a dramatic 6-5 aggregate victory over Bayern Munich, ending the German side’s European dreams.

One of the subplots was the potential Ballon d'Or winner for 2026, with Harry Kane leading the charge heading into Wednesday night.

Kane has had a remarkable season, with 55 goals in 48 games for Bayern, including an astonishing 14 goals in 13 UCL matches. However, just like his teammate Michael Olise, the semi-final exit has now depleted their chances of landing the big prize.

Ousmane Dembélé struck inside three minutes, converting a low cross from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to effectively kill the tie.

Dembele's goal capped another influential display. The reigning Ballon d’Or winner has come alive at the right time, contributing key goals and assists as PSG chase a second successive continental crown.

Prediction markets and bookmakers have reacted swiftly. Dembele has surged to favourite status in several live trackers (around 22-25% on platforms like Kalshi), ahead of Kane (~17-26%).

Declan Rice (Arsenal) and Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) follow, with Lamine Yamal and Kvaratskhelia also in contention.

The race remains fluid. Domestic title races, the UCL final, and the 2026 World Cup will have the final say. But after this result, one thing is clear: Ousmane Dembélé is back at the head of the pack.