Former Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb commented on PSG winger Ousmane Dembele’s Ballon d’Or win and assessed the voting results for 18-year-old Barcelona player Lamine Yamal.
Alexander Hleb exclusively for Telecom Asia Sport
The Ballon d’Or is awarded based on multiple factors. If it were just individual achievements, Vinicius would have won last year, not Rodri. The jury considers not only an individual’s results but also their team’s success. Yamal is one of the best players in the world, but Dembele deserved the Ballon d’Or. If Yamal had won, that would also have been fair. Both outcomes would’ve made sense. But it is what it is.
In 2025, PSG forward Ousmane Dembele won the Ballon d’Or. Lamine Yamal finished second in the voting.
In the 2024-25 season, Dembele scored 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 matches, winning four trophies with PSG: the Champions League, Ligue 1, the French Cup, and the French Super Cup.
