The Messi/Ronaldo era is revoked. We must now designate the Ballon d'Or through a wider panel of players. Since 2023 and the last victory of the Pulga, the world of football is no longer as binary. Several candidates are emerging even if as the season progresses, the decisions are refined. This time, Ousmane Dembélé is a favorite with Lamine Yamal. The victory in the Champions League, the quantity of trophies won and the collective demonstration of PSG should have been enough to limit any suspense. Not this season, and for good reason, the Frenchman has a generational player in front of him. The Barcelona has undoubtedly lived a less linear season but it is so talented and goes upmarket when the pressure is felt. French Football Weekly weighed the pros and cons as the chances of seeing Dembélé succeed Rodri in the Ballon d'Or.
Yes, this Golden Ball can escape him
For several reasons. It must already be remembered that he did not have a full season. However, this is precisely one of the new criteria of this reward based on the calendar year but on the exercise that has just flowed. Until the 14th day of Ligue 1, the attacker had only scored 5 goals, for all the same 6 assists. We already received his statistical progression compared to his past as a player but not from there to make him a credible candidate for the trophy. In the Champions League, it's even worse, he had to wait until the 7th day of the first phase to open his counter. We remember for example its sidelining at Arsenal. It was from December that he became unstoppable. The rules of the Ballon d'Or do not really favor it either. There are three essentials to remember before voting. First of all the individual performances, in particular the decisive and impressive character of the players, then the collective performance, with the trophies won by the club and/or the selection, and finally the career, the fair play and the style of play. It is probably this last criterion which prevented Vinicius Junior from being sacred last year. On this, Dembélé has nothing to envy to the competition, which is not necessarily true for the “impressive” side against Lamine Yamal. And then the fishing selection, especially since there was this direct confrontation in the semi-finals of the League of Nations, brilliantly won by a Spain led by his untenable prodigy against the Blues of a Dembélé released on injury.
This is the other black point of the “Dembouz” candidacy, this competition embodied by the brilliant Barcelona. Statistically, Le Parisien prevails, and quite largely even, only you have to admit one thing: the 18 -year -old kid is currently the best player in the world. He has a technical quality like no other, an ability to drive the ball, to bring down any defender, a vista and unparalleled coordination in addition to being spectacular. You just have to reread the declarations of Inter Milan players, however victorious, after the semi-final against Barça in the spring, to have a glimpse of the talent of Lamine Yamal. Spanish of Moroccan origin, he could also benefit from the Spanish -speaking vote, and why not certain African journalists, notably Maghreb. At the small game of the locality and the origin, another candidate should be able to do well: Achraf Hakimi. He is the second natural favorite of PSG thanks to his grand season and, paradoxically, this could go against Dembélé. The player of 28 can fear a dilution of votes in other Parisians appointed to the Ballon d'Or, Hakimi in the first place, but also Vitinha, and to a lesser extent Donnarumma, Doué, Ruiz, Hakimi, Neves, Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes. They are new from PSG, a record representation shared with Real Madrid 2018, when the Blaugranas are only 4 (Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha and Pedri).
No, this Ballon d'Or cannot escape him
Men lie, not the figures. 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 appearances in all competitions (18 goals, 25 assists in 55 games for Yamal). In the Champions League alone, it is 8 achievements for 6 offerings. From the round of 16 return, Dembélé is decisive to all matches, until you are involved on 3 of the 5 goals in the final. Admittedly, he did not score in front of Inter but he is the one who finally allowed PSG to lift the cup with large ears. Trophy level, we cannot do better, especially since it is added to Ligue 1, the French Cup, the Champions Trophy and even the European Super Cup. Only the World Cup of clubs resisted it by failing in the final against Chelsea, after a competition where success against Real Madrid 4-0 remains in the memories. The former Rennais even offered a little icing on the cake by finishing top scorer in the French championship with 21 achievements. Formerly criticized for its statistics inversely proportional to its talent, this time he corrected the shot dramatically. We can say that he was no longer expected at his age. He would always be this player petri of qualities and too intermittent to climb to the top. The Luis Enrique method has been there and has made it a major element, which postulates more than ever to the Ballon d'Or.
Not only has the Spanish coach managed to transform individuality but also the collective. The start of the season had been laborious, undermined by a lack of crying offensive realism of which Dembélé was the perfect illustration. Everything was unlocked in winter, especially when he left the right side to take the tip of the attack. With Barcola, Kvaratskhelia and gifted by his side, the offensive line turned into an unpredictable maelström for the opponent, with the high point in this final in Munich. A perfect collective orchestration guided by the Ballon d'Or favorite. In this team, everyone attacks and everyone defends to write 168 goals in 65 games throughout the season. As such, the criterion of collective performance cited above is to the advantage of the native of Vernon. No one has forgotten their determined face to press Yann Sommer in his surface. It is even from there that the song of Parisian supporters “Ousmane Ballon d'Or” was born. This faculty to press and defend, he himself did not know her a few months ago. The Parisian number 10 has become an all-terrain man and too bad if he does not mark. His sense of sacrifice serves the collective, and serving the collective, it is to serve him in his precious quest whose Gââl is at the Théâtre du Châtelet on Monday evening.
