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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Sporting Director, Luis Campos, believes Ousmane Dembele would have been the clear frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or this year if his name were Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking on Rothen s'enflamme podcast on RMC, Campos said PSG winning the treble last season and Dembele playing a key role should be enough for fans to know that the Frenchman was the best player in the world. He also revealed that the former Barcelona star has also accepted terms over a new contract and said (via OJogo):
"Ousmane Dembélé was voted the best player of the Champions League and its championship. He won everything. If he was called Messi or Ronaldo, there would be no discussion. Should Dembélé renew with our salary conditions? Yes, like everyone else. He has already accepted our conditions."Campos went on to boldly claim that if Dembele does not win the Ballon d'Or this year, questions need to be raised about those voting. He wants the focus to remain on last season, and not just a player's talent, and added:
"If he doesn't win the Ballon d'Or, it's because the people who voted don't have the competence to vote for the Ballon d'Or. In my opinion, the one who clearly deserves the Ballon d'Or is Ousmane Dembélé, without discussion. I'm talking about last season, not a projection about Lamine Yamal in a few years." "This season, the player with the best stats and who has excelled in all competitions is Ousmane Dembélé. Hakimi and Vitinha have also had extraordinary seasons, but the truth is that the best player in the Champions League and Ligue 1 is Ousmane Dembélé."Ousmane Dembele is in the 30 Ballon d’Or nominees this year, along with eight of his PSG teammates from the 2024/25 season. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not in the running and are out of the Top 30 for the second successive season.
No clear Ballon d’Or winners since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, claims Max Verstappen
F1 driver Max Verstappen spoke to Mundo Deportivo earlier in September and was asked to name his pick for the Ballon d'Or this year. He was quick to admit that there were no clear frontrunners, but believes that Lamine Yamal could win it soon, and said:
"What he's doing is impressive for his age, huh? It is incredible. Look, it's true that the Ballon d’Or has to be won by the best, but honestly, now, after the era of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there's no clear winner, at least for me, there's no particular player who's way ahead of the others at the moment. Maybe someone is still too young or whatever. But I'm sure Lamine Yamal will win the Ballon d’Or in the coming years."The Ballon d'Or gala is set to be held next week, Monday, September 22, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.
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Edited by Sripad
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