Yamal or Dembele? Why Barca directly points to the top contender for the Ballon d'Or

23/08/2025 14:50:00 GameGladiator

Recently, defender Jules Kounde publicly endorsed his teammate Lamine Yamal as more worthy of winning the 2025 Ballon d'Or compared to his French teammate Ousmane Dembele, who is currently with PSG.

At the beginning of August, France Football magazine announced the nominees for this year’s Ballon d'Or. Barcelona had four players included: Pedri, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and especially Lamine Yamal, who was also shortlisted for the Kopa Trophy awarded to the best young player.

Meanwhile, PSG’s Dembele emerged as a strong rival, shining brightly in Ligue 1. This has made the competition between Yamal and Dembele even more intense.

Kounde không chọn Dembele cho danh hiệu Quả bóng Vàng 2025 (Ảnh: Barca Blaugranes). — Kounde does not choose Dembele for the 2025 Ballon d'Or (Photo: Barca Blaugranes).

Jules Kounde, who shares close ties with both players—teammate with Yamal at Barcelona and fellow French national player with Dembele—expressed his opinion to Le10Sport: “This is honestly a tough situation for me because Dembele is also on the candidate list. If I had to choose, I believe Lamine Yamal deserves the Ballon d'Or. I have a very good relationship with him. Yamal is the type of player who puts the team first, always striving to benefit the whole squad. He has incredible energy going forward, and I understand that well.”

The 2024/25 season was a successful year for Barcelona under Hansi Flick. The Catalan club won the domestic treble: La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. However, the team fell short in the Champions League, losing in the semifinals to PSG, where Dembele shone brightly and helped Paris lift their first-ever European title.

Kounde cho rằng Yamal xứng đáng giành Quả bóng vàng hơn cả Dembele (Ảnh: GOAL). — Kounde believes Yamal is more deserving of the Ballon d'Or than Dembele (Photo: GOAL).

According to statistics, Lamine Yamal finished the season with 18 goals and 21 assists. Meanwhile, Dembele posted impressive numbers as well, with 33 goals and 13 assists for PSG. Because of this, choosing between these two stars has become a hot topic among experts and fans alike.

Not only finishing strong last season, Yamal also started the 2025/26 campaign impressively. The young star scored a beautiful goal in the 3-0 victory over Mallorca in the La Liga opener, confirming he remains Barcelona’s biggest hope on both domestic and European stages.

Given that Spanish football had to wait 64 years for a player to win the Ballon d'Or again when Rodri claimed the award in 2024, the expectation that Yamal will continue this glorious tradition excites Barcelona fans even more.

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