Former player Frank Lebouef has backed Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d’Or this year. The ESPN pundit believes Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Ousmane Dembele is not the front-runner for the award and that the Barcelona star had a better season.
Speaking on ESPN FC, Lebouef said he is backing Yamal for the Ballon d’Or this year. PSG won the treble in the 2024-25 season. However, the 57-year-old does not think Dembele was the best player this term, despite scoring more goals than Yamal. He said (via Lamine Yamal Xtra’s X handle):
Dembele recorded 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 games for PSG, while Yamal registered 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 games for Barca in 2024-25.
The Barcelona star’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has also backed the teenager to win the prestigious award this year. He recently opined that the 17-year-old deserves it. Mendes said (via TOI):
Lamine Yamal played a key role under Hansi Flick this season, helping Barcelona win the Copa del Rey and LaLiga. Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembele won the treble with PSG, including the UEFA Champions League.
Lamine Yamal spoke to the media on Monday (June 2) and said he was not thinking about the Ballon d’Or. He added that it was not ideal for him to focus on the individual awards and said (via FootBoom):
Lamine Yamal is with the Spain squad this week. In the UEFA Nations League A Championship semifinal, they will take on France, who have called up Ousmane Dembele. The game will be played on Thursday (June 5).
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