The 2024/2025 Ballon d’Or race has been a weird one. It started with Mohamed Salah and Raphinha as the clear frontrunners, but as the season progressed, Dembele and Lamine Yamal started to define the season. Yamal won the domestic treble and had a plethora of iconic moments against Real Madrid. Dembele, on the other hand, won a quadruple and was a key piece in PSG’s Champions League victory. 

Both players were unable to win the UEFA Nations League, and with Yamal’s season finished, I think it’s now time to think about who the most deserving player is. 

When it comes to the Ballon d’Or, people have to understand that it’s a popularity competition. There are certain criteria, sure, but voters are free to pick based on their feelings and personal preferences. Storylines are important, too. Messi winning his first World Cup made it impossible for Haaland to win despite achieving a treble. 

There was no major international trophy in 2025 in Europe (sorry, Nations League!), so the Champions League was going to be a vital component in seeing who would win the Ballon d’Or. It isn’t the only thing that matters, but if you combine a UCL trophy with some domestic success, it’s hard not to see someone from that team win the prestigious individual award. 

This year’s top candidates had a combination of statistical achievements and incredible performances against top teams in big tournaments, and by those categories, Dembele should win the Ballon d’Or. However, I still hold onto the idea that Lamine Yamal is the better player, and if he had made it to the final, he or Raphinha would have easily run away with the award. 

But I do think not winning the award this year will only help Yamal in the long run. Even though he had an incredible season, he now knows that to be the winner of that prestigious award, he will have to win more than he already has and contribute even more than he already has. He’s still 17, so I’m sure that he’ll only keep improving his game.