French icon backs Lamine Yamal to win 2025 Ballon d’Or ahead of Ousmane Dembele

Later this year, France Football will hand out the 2025 Ballon d’Or award, and it’s expected that a Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain player will win. Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Vitinha are among the leading candidates, in what is expected to be very close battle.

Barcelona officials are backing Lamine Yamal to be winner, and if he were to do so, he would become the youngest Ballon d’Or holder – three years younger than Ronaldo Nazario, who took home the award in 1997. However, there are many backing Dembele, who helped PSG win a historic treble that included the club’s first-ever Champions League success.

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There are many across France that are backing Dembele, or even Vitinha or Achraf Hakimi. But this is not the case for Jean-Pierre Papin, who won the Ballon d’Or himself in 1991. As per Sport, he believes that Lamine Yamal would be the worthy winner.

“Lamine Yamal deserves to win the Ballon d’Or this year. “No (to Dembele or Hakimi), for me Yamal was the best and had an exceptional season.”

MALLORCA, SPAIN – AUGUST 16: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona reacts during the LaLiga EA Sports match between RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona at Estadio de Son Moix on August 16, 2025 in Mallorca, Spain. (Image via Rafa Babot/Getty Images)

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Barcelona are hoping for first Ballon d’Or success since 2021

A Barcelona player has not won the Ballon d’Or since 2021 (Lionel Messi), so there is a strong desire among the Catalan club for one of their players to take home the honour four years on. And while Lamine Yamal or Raphinha would be a worthy winner, the same can be said for Dembele.

It will be interesting to see who is successful during the award’s ceremony later this year. There is every chance that another shock occurs, following on from Rodri’s win in 2024 ahead of Vinicius Junior.

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