If Paris Saint-Germain had won the Club World Cup last Sunday and that Ooumane Dembélé had marked during the final, the debate for the Ballon d'Or 2025 would not even have been relevant. Except that nothing like it has happened.
The fact remains that the French international remains the big favorite to win the prestigious individual reward, on September 22, at the Théâtre du Châtelet. Several annoying sports betting sites give it a dimension less than 1.3 against one. The Barcelonan Lamine Yamal arrives second in the bookmakers with a dimension of 6.5.
It is another PSG player who completes the podium: the Portuguese Vitinha (8). The Moroccan Achraf Hakimi and the Spaniard Fabian Ruiz follow, but with a largely higher rating (25 each). According to Gaël Clichy, the trophy will not be able to escape Ousmane Dembélé, author of 35 goals and 16 assists during exercise 2024-2025.
Dembélé, sixth French Ballon d'Or?
“The Ballon d'Or rewards players who are decisive: it is necessary to take into account individual statistics, which have been put forward by CR7 and Messi. This year, Ousmane Dembélé has quite crazy figures. And when he entered during the match, he was sharp, with or without possession, explained the sports consultant on RMC. Failing to reach 90 goals in a year, for me today Dembélé is the winner hands down. With Titi (Henry), we tell ourselves that OUSMANE is the most complete, he can mark and make score, cause chaos around him. »»
In the event of a coronation in just over two months, Ousmane Dembélé would become the sixth French player in history to lift the Ballon d'Or. He would succeed the record at Raymond Kopa (1958), Michel Platini (1983, 1984 and 1985), Jean-Pierre Papin (1991), Zinedine Zidane (1998) and Karim Benzema (2022).
