With the Ballon d'Or ceremony just hours away, a former winner has given his verdict on the two frontrunners. He revealed his vote would go to Barcelona's Lamine Yamal for his "unpredictable" style, but concedes that Ousmane Dembele's Champions League triumph with Paris Saint-Germain might "tip the scales" in his favour.
Who will win the Ballon d'Or?
Lothar Matthaus has revealed he would vote for Barcelona sensation Yamal to win the 2025 award, but concedes that PSG's Dembele is the slight favourite heading into tonight's ceremony in Paris. Writing in a column for ahead of the gala, the football legend admitted that major titles could be the decisive factor.
AdvertisementAFPThe case for the two frontrunners
Dembele and Yamal have emerged as the two frontrunners for football's most prestigious individual prize after outstanding 2024-25 campaigns. Dembele, 28, was instrumental for PSG, scoring 35 goals as the club won a domestic clean sweep and its first-ever Champions League title. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Yamal was a breakout star for Barcelona, scoring 18 goals in 55 appearances as his side secured a La Liga and Copa del Rey double.
'Titles often tipped the scales' – What the former winner said
Despite Dembele's superior trophy haul, the 1990 Ballon d'Or winner Matthaus expressed his personal preference for the young Spaniard's exciting style of play.
"Titles often tipped the scales in this election – especially when it was close. I'm thinking of Fabio Cannavaro, who lifted the trophy with Italy in 2006 after winning the World Cup. That's a good thing, because I don't see the award purely as an individual achievement," he wrote.
"But Yamal also won three titles with FC Barcelona . He would even get my vote if I were eligible to vote, because he brings something fresh and unpredictable to the game. Of course, it's possible that his teammate Raphinha, who also had a sensational season, will steal some of his votes.
"That's perfectly normal, and probably also the reason why no German player won the Ballon d'Or in 2014, despite the World Cup. But Germany excelled as a collective back then, and there was no single primary reason for their success. Regardless of whether Dembele or Yamal succeed Rodri, both would be worthy winners."
The bigger picture at the Paris ceremony
The winner will be announced at a glitzy ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Monday evening. Both players feature on a 30-man shortlist that also includes past contenders such as Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. In the women's category, Spain and Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati is the favourite to claim the prize for a third consecutive year.
