After an incredibe season run at PSG, winning the Ligue 1 domestic treble and the Champions League title, many netizens are arguing in favour of Ousmane Dembélé to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or. The most popular contenders as football lovers and fans argue, are Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal.
Ousmane Dembélé, a former Barcelona player who is currently a forward for Paris Saint German (PSG), stand a fair chance of winning the highly coveted French magazine France Football award. The Ballon d’Or voters are selected 100 sports journalists across different countries globally, especially FIFA-ranked countries. They assess the overall performance of selected 30 players based on several criteria including individual performance, statistics, eye test and team contributions and trophies won in a football season.
The Barcelona right-wing young maestro, Lamine Yamal, prior to the Uefa Champions League (UCL) final, has been most favoured contender for the Ballon d’Or 2024/2025 season. Lamine pulled an impressive performance all season across all competitions at club and country. Although, his stats are a bit less compared to Dembélé, however, he is a fan favourite given his incredible football IQ and contribution to critical games.
The 17 year old has also won several silverwares, with Barcelona winning a domestic treble this season, and only knocked out in the Champions League Semi-finals by Inter Milan. Lamine Yamal is a key starter in the Barcelona XI, and Spain senior team.
As Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony approaches, three criteria stands individual performance – goals, assists, clean sheets, matches played and their overall impact on the game;
team performance – the player’s success with their club and/or national team; and public image – their conduct on and off the pitch, including fair play and any involvement in philanthropic work.
