Not Haaland: Donnarumma names his favourite candidate for the Ballon d'Or

Gianluigi Donnarumma did more than keep Italy's goal safe against France. He also settled his stance on the Ballon d'Or race, naming the player he believes deserves the award most.

The Manchester City goalkeeper was strikingly impressive as France and Italy played out a 1-1 draw, a display that earned him man of the match honours in the "Foot Mercato" editorial team's assessment.

Quizzed on his favourite for the next Ballon d'Or after the final whistle, Donnarumma threw up a surprise. He handed his vote to former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Ousmane Dembélé, the very man he had just faced on the pitch.

Speaking in French, in comments reported by the French website " Foot Mercato ", Donnarumma said: "Who is my favourite candidate for the Ballon d'Or? Ousmane Dembélé".

Between 2021 and 2025, Donnarumma wore the Paris Saint-Germain shirt through a historic chapter, one that delivered the Parisian club their first Champions League title.

The Italian stood out as one of PSG's leading figures across those years, right alongside Dembélé, who has since emerged as one of the frontrunners for the prestigious individual prize.