Before the final, former Ligue 1 coach Pascal Dupraz stressed that if PSG won the Club World Cup, Dembele would almost certainly win the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Former Real Madrid player Gareth Bale also agreed with this view.
Bale believes PSG's collective achievements (a quadruple including the Club World Cup) combined with his individual form make Dembele unrivalled. However, things have changed now.
Mundo Deportivo believes that the failure of PSG and Dembele in the US could create an opportunity for Lamine Yamal or Cole Palmer himself in the race for the most prestigious individual title in world football.
The Rise of Palmer
Cole Palmer, with a brace in the Club World Cup final and 37 goal contributions in Chelsea's entire 2024/25 season, deserves to be Dembele's rival in the 2025 Ballon d'Or race.
Although Chelsea only won the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup last season, Palmer's individual form (he shone in both finals) has significantly increased his chances. The 2025 Ballon d'Or will be decided by journalists from many countries around the world, based on individual performance, team achievements, and influence.
Dembele has the advantage of winning the Champions League, but the defeat to Chelsea could make some journalists lean towards Yamal or Palmer, who has a more inspiring story (Yamal with his youth, Palmer with his brilliance in two finals).
According to coach Dupraz, journalists sometimes judge differently about the impact of players in big games. Dembele's defeat in the Club World Cup final, although not directly his fault, may have diminished the impression compared to Palmer's performance.
There will be no major international tournaments (World Cup or Euro) in 2025, so club performance will be the main factor. The Ballon d'Or usually goes to players who win major club titles in seasons without a World Cup or Euro.
Dembele was central to PSG's historic treble this season, but with Chelsea winning the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup double, Palmer is also a worthy recipient.
Many people have the right to say that except for the Champions League, PSG's domestic titles are not too impressive, because this team is much stronger than its opponents.
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Palmer upsets Ballon d'Or race |
Competition from Yamal
Lamine Yamal, with 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 games for Barcelona, and three goals for Spain at Euro 2024, is another strong contender. Although Barcelona only won the domestic treble and fell short in the Champions League semi-finals, Yamal’s performances as a teenager made a strong impression on the public.
AS believes Yamal's remarkable story could convince journalists, especially when Dembele could not complete the "poker" of titles with the Club World Cup.
Demebele is still the obvious candidate for the Ballon d'Or, with his consistent performances and proven class. But the statistics don't lie: Yamal has continued to shine in big matches this season.
Yamal also joined the Spanish team to continuously defeat France and Dembele at the national team level, from Euro 2024 to Nations League 2025.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or race is still wide open, and perhaps Dembele needs another impressive performance in the European Super Cup against Tottenham on August 13 to solidify his position.
Source: https://znews.vn/dembele-co-the-mat-qua-bong-vang-post1568586.html
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