Presenting himself at a press conference before the shock of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine, Jules Koundé had to face a dreaded question: his opinion on the Ballon d'Or. Between his club and selection teammates, the tricolor defender could only feel stuck.
Between Yamal and Dembélé, the heart balances
Because the two names mentioned are not just any: Lamine Yamalhis corridor partner at FC Barcelona, and Ousmane Dembéléwhich he meets regularly with the French team. Questioned at a press conference, Koundé carefully avoided slicing. “The two deserve”he repeated, recalling the exceptional seasons made by the two men: domestic tripled with Barça for Yamal, historic quadrupled with PSG for Dembélé.
The defender's attitude illustrates the difficulty of his position. In Barcelona, he benefited from a close technical relationship with Yamal, whose statistics (18 goals and 21 assists) have scored Europe. In selection, he measures the progression of Dembélé every day, repositioned brilliantly in fake new by Luis Enrique and author of 33 goals. Difficult, therefore, to favor one at the expense of the other without offending.
A very open golden balloon
Koundé's diplomacy also reflects the complexity of the 2025 vintage. If Yamal embodies the emergence of a generational nugget, Dembélé has finally reached a statistical regularity worthy of the greatest. The final choice will belong to the jurors, but the defender's words recall that beyond the figures, the contexts and the respective roles weigh heavily.
Finally, Koundé spoke of his own situation, regretting not being in the list of 30 nominees despite a full season in Barcelona. “I could have been there”he said, while seeing this absence as a source of motivation. A revealing speech: the defender walks on the eggs, but does not intend to stay in the shade for a very long time.
