Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé Set for Ballon d’Or Showdown

Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé met as rivals and friends on the red carpet before the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony. Both players are shortlisted for the prestigious award. Their appearance reflects the remarkable seasons they have enjoyed and signals a new generation leading the football world.

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE BALLON D’OR?

Yamal and Dembélé arrived at the Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony as two of the main favorites to win the award. Their friendly exchange before the event caught the attention of fans and the media, showcasing the mutual respect between Barcelona’s wonderkid and PSG’s star. Both players are hoping to be named the best player in the world.

THEIR SEASONS IN FOCUS

Lamine Yamal has shined this season for Barcelona, delivering 18 goals and 11 assists in La Liga and the Champions League combined. The young forward helped Barca finish as winners in La Liga, just four points ahead of Real Madrid, and guided them to the Champions League semi-final. Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembélé starred for PSG, notching 17 goals and 13 assists. He played a pivotal role in PSG’s Ligue 1 title win and their run to the Champions League final, where they beat Inter Milan. Both players have played more than 4,000 minutes across all competitions this season, underlining their importance to their respective teams. Additionally, Dembélé recently received support from Kylian Mbappé, who backs his chances for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, as reported here.

WHAT COMES NEXT FOR YAMAL, DEMBÉLÉ, AND THEIR CLUBS?

The Ballon d’Or outcome will shape the headlines, but both Yamal and Dembélé face busy weeks ahead. Barcelona’s next challenge is a clash against Real Oviedo before facing Real Sociedad this weekend and PSG for the Champions League in the middle of next week. PSG, meanwhile, will face Auxerre in the Ligue 1 next weekend before facing Barça for the Champions League’s 2nd match, where both teams won their opener. Both Yamal, who will unfortunately miss another weekend match due to injury as confirmed, and Dembélé are expected to remain central figures, and their rivalry may only be beginning.