France coach Didier Deschamps backed Dembele for the award, saying "considering the season Ousmane is having, he deserves it and that's all I wish for him".
Didier Deschamps expects the Paris St Germain players to be ready after their Champions League success when France take on Spain in the Nations League semifinals, with the manager also backing Ousmane Dembele for the Ballon d'Or.
Yamal and Dembele have been crucial for club and country this season and the prestigious golden ball trophy could end up with one of them in September during the ceremony in Paris.
The nominees will be announced in early August.
The Egyptian superstar, 32, is favourite to win the award, regarded as the top individual prize in football, after a sensational campaign so far.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti vehemently defended his sides’ decision to boycott the Ballon d’Or award ceremony last year in protest of Vinicius Jr’s snub and said that Rodri, who edged out Vinicius for the award, should have won the prize a year earlier instead of Lionel Messi.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri took the prestigious prize in October with favourite Vinicius in second place
“Why would it hurt me? It was my moment, to enjoy with my family. The last thing I’d be thinking about is people who weren’t there, and didn’t want to participate,” Rodri said in an interview with COPE radio.
It was revealed that five of the 99 journalists who voted for this year’s Ballon d’Or left eventual winner Rodri out of their top 10 list while three journos did not have Vinicius Junior, who came second after the Spanish midfielder, in the top 10 of their ballot.
"Honestly I don't see it as extraordinary, even if some people do... when I was little I also looked on from the outside, watching from my house seeing Messi lift Ballons d'Or and thinking it was incredible. Once you are on the inside, you take it normally, naturally, although if I stop to think about it, it's something really big."
Rodri becoming the first Manchester City player to win the Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world on Monday did come as a surprise to many, and with ample reasons too as he pipped favourite Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid and Brazil to lift the most prestigious individual award in football.
European champions Real announced their decision to skip Monday night's gala ceremony in Paris just hours before it took place after apparently learning that their Brazilian striker Vinicius had not won the men's award.
"What can I say?," said the Spaniard. "First, to congratulate him and all his family and their friends, it's incredible news for him and for all of us."
Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri was awarded the men's Ballon d'Or on Monday after winning a fourth consecutive Premier League title and Euro 2024, but Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony
While the award has been dominated by Spanish league players, no Spaniard had won since Barcelona great Luis Suarez more than 60 years ago, despite Spain's "golden generation" that won the 2010 World Cup, the 2008 and 2012 Euros.
Vinicius took to social media after finishing second in the prestigious award voting behind Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri.
The 26-year-old playmaker joins team-mate Alexia Putellas as the only women to win the Ballon d'Or twice, since the award's inauguration in 2018.
Rodri, a first-time winner of the award, was instrumental in helping his team win an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League trophy last season. He was also named best player at this year's European Championship after Spain lifted a record-extending fourth title.
Vinicius was not among the nominees who paraded onto the stage at the Paris' Chatelet Theatre where the ceremony was held.
