Ballon d’Or 2025: “Dembélé won’t win it”, Franck Leboeuf names the winner

Who will win the 2025 Ballon d’Or? The prestigious individual award will be given to the best player of the year on September 22nd during a grand ceremony in Paris, France.

Several candidates are in the running for the highly coveted trophy, including Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Mohamed Salah, Raphinha, and Ousmane Dembélé, who recently won the Champions League with PSG.

Having had a great season with the Parisians, who achieved a historic treble (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and C1), the French striker is even considered a favorite for the title. However, his compatriot Franck Leboeuf does not share this opinion.

In an interview with ESPN, the former French international does not see Dembélé taking the prize. The ex-central defender thinks the Golden Ball would go to Lamine Yamal, the FC Barcelona prodigy.

“I don’t think Dembélé will win the Ballon d’Or. I think Lamine Yamal will win it,” he stated. During the 2024-25 season, Ousmane Dembélé scored 33 goals and delivered 15 assists in 49 appearances for PSG.

On his side, Lamine Yamal scored 18 goals and provided 25 assists in 55 matches across all competitions. The young Spanish forward’s agent, Jorge Mendes, also believes that the 17-year-old would win the prestigious award. “He was the best in the world this season, and it’s clear, so the Ballon d’Or would be deserved,” he said.