Kylian Mbappe reveals clear Ballon d'Or choice between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele

The 2025 Ballon d’Or debate is heating up as the 2024–25 season draws to a close, with Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele emerging as the frontrunners for football’s most prestigious individual award. Now, Kylian Mbappe has weighed in on the conversation by choosing a clear winner.

Mbappe enjoyed a stellar debut season at Real Madrid on a personal level, capturing both the Pichichi and the European Golden Boot for the first time in his career. However, his Ballon d’Or hopes took a hit after Los Blancos failed to secure major trophies. His France national team campaign also ended in disappointment, with a semifinal loss to Yamal’s Spain in the UEFA Nations League.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of France’s third-place match, Mbappé was emphatic in his pick for the Ballon d’Or: “I would choose Dembele. Do I really need to explain myself? We’re talking about who at the moment between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele. I would vote for Dembele. Explaining means that things are not clear, but to me, things are very clear.”

Mbappe also addressed how quickly narratives can shift in the Ballon d’Or race. “Things evolve very rapidly. It’s something that evolves very rapidly, and the latest winners showed us some players we didn’t think would win it, and then they did,” he said. “It’s in September and October, and until then, a lot of things can happen. At the moment, we’re talking about both players,” he added.

Putting speculation aside, Mbappe made it clear that Dembele—fresh off a treble-winning season with Paris Saint-Germain, including a Champions League triumph—is currently the deserving favorite. However, with the UEFA Nations League final still to be played, Yamal could tilt the scales in his favor.

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Yamal wins on the field—and in the Ballon d’Or race?

The much-anticipated clash between Yamal and Dembele took place in the Nations League semifinal, and it delivered. Spain edged France in a thrilling 5–4 encounter, with Yamal playing a pivotal role in the result. Before the match, Yamal acknowledged the Ballon d’Or implications and welcomed the challenge.

After the game, Yamal reflected on both the win and the growing award buzz. “As I already said, for me, aside from the fact that the most important thing was reaching the final with the national team, the Ballon d’Or is for the best player of the year. But I said that if people wanted to give it to me based on today’s match, I’d be open to it—I had no problem with that,” he said in the post-match press conference.

“I’m happy to reach the final, and now it’s all about Sunday’s game,” the 17-year-old concluded his statement. While Barcelona fell just short of a Champions League final appearance after losing to Inter Milan, Yamal has made a strong case. With one more big performance, he could become the youngest Ballon d’Or winner in history.