The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner will be announced sometime in September, and a few top names are predicted to battle it out for football's most coveted individual award.
Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain is obviously there as the favorite. And then there are a few ancillary names that are being pumped time and again but hardly match the case of Dembele. One of these names is Lamine Yamal of Barcelona.
The Barcelona youngster is a phenomenal talent and has shook the world with his game but this was not his year to win the golden ball. Maybe some other time, but not this. And Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe has given his verdict on the battle as well.
In a question with the media, the Frenchman said, "Would I vote for Dembele? Yes. I don't think it needs much explaining. People are talking about Lamine Yamal and Dembele, but my choice is clear: I vote for Dembele."
Kylian Mbappe's pick is not only bold but also the best
Lend me your ears. I have given it much thought even after how ridiculous it feels, but I am unable to land on a quantifiable reason as to why Lamine Yamal deserves to win the Ballon d'Or even above Raphinha, let alone the clear favorite Dembele himself.
Dembele has won the treble with Paris Saint-Germain's star-studded side and was the best player in all these competitions by a mile. Yamal, on the other hand, has only won domestic trophies and could win the Nations League tonight, which, still, does not come close to the Champions League trophy at all.
I already mentioned that if a player from Barcelona is chosen arbitrarily, Raphinha has a considerably better chance than Yamal. He was instrumental in Barcelona's La Liga victory and pulled some of the best numbers in Barcelona's Champions League run as well.
It is laudable that Mbappe has chosen the best option on the roster, and this is not due to any partiality toward his teammate, but rather a simple comprehension of the game.