Zlatan Ibrahimovic has made his choice for the Ballon d’Or. And despite spending four seasons in a PSG shirt, the former Paris striker is not backing a player from his former club: in his view, Lamine Yamal deserves to win the prestigious individual award.
Ibrahimovic’s Paris past clearly did not influence him when naming his favorite. A major figure at PSG between 2012 and 2016, the Swede played a huge role in taking the capital club to another level. But with the Ballon d’Or verdict approaching, his personal choice is not a Paris player.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Picks Lamine Yamal
The former striker has instead chosen Lamine Yamal. Having also played for FC Barcelona during his career, Ibrahimovic believes the young Spanish international has made the biggest difference on an individual level. “The Ballon d’Or should be awarded to the player who really makes the biggest difference individually. For me, Lamine Yamal has done that and he is the one who deserves it,” Zlatan said, in comments notably reported by Sportskeeda.
His choice is bound to attract attention in Paris given his history with PSG. Ibrahimovic spent four seasons in the French capital, becoming one of the first major stars of the QSI project and one of the emblematic players of that era. However, when assessing the Ballon d’Or candidates, the Swede appears to put any connection with his former clubs aside, focusing primarily on individual impact.
This is obviously not a stance against PSG. Zlatan is simply defending his own vision of the Ballon d’Or: he believes the award should above all go to the player capable of making the greatest individual difference. And despite his Parisian past, his verdict is clear: Lamine Yamal is his favorite to win the trophy.
