Forget Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele: Jose Mourinho picks his 2025 Ballon d’Or winner without blinking – and it’s a shocker

The Ballon d’Or conversation this year has largely revolved around two dazzling names. With a La Liga-Copa del Rey double and a sensational individual campaign, Lamine Yamal looked poised to become the youngest winner in history. Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembele’s explosive form helped Paris Saint-Germain to a domestic treble and a Club World Cup final. However, legendary manager Jose Mourinho has cast his vote elsewhere — and made it abundantly clear why neither of the popular picks deserves the crown.

In a recent interview with Canal 11, Mourinho dismissed the common narrative surrounding the 2025 Ballon d’Or frontrunners. Though full of praise for the talent of Dembele and Yamal, the former Chelsea, Manchester United, and Real Madrid boss offered a more team-centric philosophy to justify his reasoning.

“Football, as much as we all want to make players special people, coaches special people, for me, it remains about the team,” Mourinho said. “And for me, any individual trophy must always have a direct connection to titles.”

By that measure, he ruled out Yamal, whose Barcelona side — while impressive domestically — fell short in Europe, losing to Inter in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. But rather than pivoting to the obvious second candidate, Mourinho made a bolder choice.

Mourinho’s pick: Champions League credentials matter

Instead of endorsing Dembele, who scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists in 53 matches for PSG last season, Mourinho believes the Ballon d’Or should go to one of two less-celebrated, but equally crucial players from that same PSG squad — Vitinha or Nuno Mendes.

“I love them both; I can’t tell the difference,” Mourinho said. “The only thing I’d say is that there’s still a small group of good midfielders there, and now full-backs like that. I’d like one of them to win, obviously, but then Jorge Mendes will get mad at me because he only thinks Yamal, his player, should win.”

Vitinha, the 25-year-old Portuguese midfielder, was instrumental in the Parisians’ control-heavy midfield during their treble-winning campaign. Mendes, the dynamic left-back, combined defensive solidity with offensive flair throughout the season. Both players were pivotal in PSG’s Champions League triumph, a tournament Mourinho holds in the highest regard.

Manager who sticks to principles

Mourinho’s perspective is rooted in the ethos he has carried throughout his storied coaching career: titles define greatness. That view inevitably shapes how he evaluates individual awards. Despite the sheer brilliance of players like Dembele and Yamal, Mourinho cannot overlook the importance of European dominance.

“Any individual award should always have a direct link to titles,” he reiterated. “Football is, and always will be, a team game.”