Nuno Mendes: Yamal and Dembele are worthy rivals for the Ballon d'Or

Portugal and PSG defender Nuno Mendes has weighed in on the Ballon d'Or debate. He believes both Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele are deserving of the prestigious award.

The 22-year-old left-back was the man of the match for his brilliant performance against Spain in the Nations League final, where he was named man of the match. In particular, he showed a solid and experienced performance against Spain's young star Lamine Yamal.

At the press conference, he was asked about the battle between Yamal and Dembele for the Ballon d'Or. Mendes replied:

“It’s hard to talk about Yamal and Dembele separately, because they are both top-level players. I played with Ousmane at PSG. He is not only a very good player, but also a very sincere and hardworking person. His potential is typical of true champions.

Lamine, despite his young age, had a fantastic season. It’s fun to watch him play. He’s a star of the future,” said Mendes.

The footballer continued:

“Dembele suffered a lot of injuries when he was at Barcelona. At PSG, he started to show himself at a new level. I wish him to win the Ballon d’Or and, if I can, I’m ready to help him achieve this goal,” he stressed.

For your information, PSG achieved historic results in the 2024/25 season. The Parisians won the Ligue 1 championship, the French Cup and, most importantly, the Champions League. These results make it possible to consider Dembele as a serious contender for the Ballon d'Or.

At the same time, Lamine Yamal, through his performances for Barcelona and the Spanish national team, is also gaining recognition not only from fans but also from experts. Much is expected of him in the future.

The competition for the Ballon d'Or is fierce every year, but this year it is expected to be between young and talented candidates. Mendes' diplomatic and sincere thoughts once again showed how important sportsmanship and team friendship are in this process. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!