Ousmane Dembele backs Ibrahim Maza to become a future Ballon d’Or winner

Ousmane Dembele has tipped Algeria international Ibrahim Maza to win the Ballon d’Or in the future, following Monday’s ceremony in London.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward made the prediction in a social media exchange with Maza, who currently plays for Bayer Leverkusen. Dembele’s comments have been widely reported by Algerian media and have also prompted speculation about possible interest from the French club.

Monday’s event was the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony and attracted attention from across the football world. Dembele, who won the award last year, finished seventh in the overall voting this time, with Harry Kane taking over as the latest recipient.

Maza, who is 20, had posted a series of photographs on his official Instagram account. The images showed the midfielder alone on the red carpet, alongside his agents Walid Bouzid and Rafael Kazior, and then with Dembele.

In response, Dembele predicted that the player, who is eight years younger than him, would reach the sport’s highest individual honour. The message was interpreted by some as an attempt to encourage Maza to consider a move to Paris Saint-Germain, although no transfer has been announced.

Maza is under contract with Bayer Leverkusen until June 2030 and is regarded as one of the most promising players in his position. He finished ninth in the 2026 Kopa Trophy, an award presented to the best player aged under 21 from the previous season.

The Berlin-born midfielder scored five goals and supplied seven assists in 44 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen last season, starting 32 of those matches.

He has already made a strong start to the current campaign. Maza has scored three goals and provided three assists in 10 appearances, including nine starts.

Maza has also established himself at international level with Algeria, for whom he has won 24 caps and scored three goals.

Dembele’s prediction adds to the growing attention around the young midfielder after his progress at Bayer Leverkusen and his recognition at the Kopa Trophy ceremony. For now, his long-term future remains tied to the German club through his contract, which runs until June 2030.