Former France midfielder Alain Giresse believes Ousmane Dembele is the leading candidate to claim the Ballon d’Or and says “there is no debate” that he has the edge over Lamine Yamal due to Paris Saint-Germain winning the Champions League.
Dembele scored 35 goals in 53 games in all competitions last season, including eight as PSG became European champions for the first time, with Luis Enrique’s side also landing the Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France trophies.
And Giresse, who was a part of the France midfield dubbed the ‘Magic Square’ alongside Michel Platini, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana, says that should give him the edge over Yamal, who helped Barca win La Liga and the Copa del Rey.
Lamine Yamal ‘lacks performance’ – Giresse
He told Le Parisien: “Of course, there is Yamal, who exudes exceptional technical qualities. But, for me, he still lacks performance at the highest level.
“Dembele was above all a player who committed himself to the club and in the [Champions League] final showed his qualities with incredible pressing. This is an important factor but in the eyes of the public it does not have the same effect as a spectacular technical move. On the field, however, it has the same value.
“In my opinion, Dembele has the title that validates his season, a title that Yamal does not have.”
PSG have nine nominees for the trophy that will be handed out in Paris on September 22.
On an individual level, Giresse admits Yamal may have the edge and indicated that was why Lionel Messi has eight Ballons d’Or compared to Cristiano Ronaldo’s five.
He added: “Messi won so many times because people were won over by his technique and spectacular moves rather than Ronaldo’s phenomenal physical side.
“Like them, Yamal and Dembele don’t have the same qualities in their games but I vote for Dembele. He is, for me, THE representative of a club that had an exceptional season. He made us forget that, until December, we had a an unfinished taste when watching PSG games. He was the one who changed things.
“He was the one who triggered the rise of this team. In my opinion, you cannot reward an individual in a team that does not work. Yamal is not in a team that does not work but you cannot compare a national title [La Liga] to a Champions League.
“There is no debate. Dembele, I hope, will have marked people’s minds more than Yamal thanks to the victory in the Champions League.”
How does the voting for the Ballon d’Or work?
The 30-player shortlist for the main awards is voted for by a panel of journalists from France Football and L’Equipe.
One journalist from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings then votes for their top 10 from each list with each position afforded a certain number of points.
- First Place: 15 points
- Second Place: 12 points
- Third place: 10 points
- Fourth place: 8 points
- Fifth place: 7 points
- Sixth place: 5 points
- Seventh place: 4 points
- Eighth place: 3 points
- Ninth place: 2 points
- Tenth place: 1 point
Which players have won the men’s award previously?
2024: Rodri
2023: Lionel Messi
2022: Karim Benzema
2021: Lionel Messi
2019: Lionel Messi
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2025-08-08 13:57:57
