Paris Saint-Germain made a huge statement against Real Madrid — and so did Ousmane Dembélé. In a one-sided Club World Cup semifinal, the French winger delivered a standout performance and scored a key goal, shaking up the race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
Even Spain admits it: Dembélé is now the clear frontrunner. The Catalan daily Sport didn’t mince words: “If there were still doubts, Dembélé erased them in 10 minutes. He’s now the sole favorite for the Ballon d’Or!”
A bold claim, especially from a Barcelona-based outlet often more inclined to promote Lamine Yamal. But this time, even the teenage sensation from Barça appears overshadowed.
Mbappé Lost the Ballon d’Or… Against PSG
And what about Kylian Mbappé? His performance against Paris was widely slammed in the Spanish media. Marked out of the game, invisible on the pitch — the Real Madrid star may have waved goodbye to his Ballon d’Or hopes on that night in New York.
Meanwhile, Marca chose to shine a light on someone else entirely: “The Ballon d’Or this season is Luis Enrique. It’s not Lamine, Dembélé, or Vitinha. The real star is Luis Enrique, the architect of this footballing machine.”
Verdict?
Dembélé dazzles, Yamal slips, Mbappé disappoints — and Luis Enrique emerges as the genius behind PSG’s unstoppable form. The 2025 Ballon d’Or may still be officially undecided… but right now, Paris is the epicenter of the footballing world.
Barring a huge twist, Dembélé’s name may already be etched into that golden trophy. Verdict: end of September. But the suspense? It’s rapidly vanishing.
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