The race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or is heating up. With just weeks to go until the ceremony in Paris on September 22, some of world soccer’s brightest names are being tipped for the game’s most prestigious individual prize. Among them is Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, whose breakout season has made him a serious contender. Yet when Kylian Mbappe was asked about his rivals for the award, the Real Madrid star delivered an unexpected eight-word comment that left many stunned — especially within Barcelona’s community.
Mbappe, now the face of Real Madrid and the French national team, downplayed his own chances of winning the prestigious award this year. In a candid interview with Telefoot, he admitted, “No, I can’t win the Ballon d’Or this year. I can’t choose between two friends; Hakimi and Dembele. What matters is that their performances are recognized.”
For a player so often associated with personal ambition and dominance on the world stage, it was a rare public statement of humility. Instead of highlighting his own achievements, Mbappe emphasized the brilliance of two close friends: Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi. The 26-year-old was emphatic about his support for Dembele. “Dembele deserves it, I’ve supported him from the beginning and I hope he wins it. We’ll see what happens because it doesn’t depend on us,” he said.
And the numbers back him up. Ousmane Dembele led PSG to an unprecedented treble — Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and the Champions League — scoring 35 goals and registering 16 assists. His transformation into PSG’s attacking leader after years of battling injuries has impressed many, not least his compatriot Mbappe.
Hakimi, meanwhile, also received glowing praise. Mbappe noted that “it would be fantastic to show that football is for all positions,” a nod to the Moroccan defender’s impact. Hakimi scored 11 goals from right-back and played a key role in PSG’s Champions League triumph, while also excelling on the international stage with Morocco.
The comment that sparked debate
But it was when the subject turned to Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal that Mbappe made headlines. Asked to weigh in on the Spaniard’s candidacy, he responded with his now-viral eight-word remark: “Who was the third one, did you say?” After a pause, the Frenchman did acknowledge the youngster: “Ah. Very good player. But from Barcelona. Nothing can be said. But he’s a very good player.”
For many, this was more than just a slip of the tongue. It was interpreted as a deliberate act of withholding praise from a player representing Real Madrid’s fiercest rival. At the same time, it fueled speculation about Mbappe’s unwillingness to feed into the hype surrounding Yamal, who has already been compared to some of the game’s greatest.
