Ballon d’Or: ‘He catches the eyes’ – French star snubs Dembele, names player to win award

Paris FC midfielder, Ilan Kebbal, has picked Barcelona youngster, Lamine Yamal as the favourite to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

He said it does not matter if Paris Saint-Germain winger, Ousmane Dembele wins the UEFA Champions League next week.

Dembele with his PSG side have a date with Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions final on Saturday at Munich while the 2025 Ballon d’Or gala will take place on September 22 at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Many pundits and fans alike believe that Dembele would win the Ballon if the French Ligue1 champions win the Champions League this season.

Ilan Kebbal pointed out that Yamal really catches his eyes.

He said, as quoted by Barca Times on X, “Ballon d’Or? For me, it’s Lamine Yamal. Even if Dembélé wins the UCL, it’s still Yamal, because he’s the one who gives us the most emotions when I watch a game. It’s not just about winning the UCL, Lamine’s the one who really catches your eye.”;;

The 17-year-old Spain international, Yamal has showed some quality beyond his age.

He helped Barcelona to 3 trophies this season, scoring 18 goals and making 25 assists in 54 games across competitions.