Gerard Pique gives verdict on tight Ballon d'Or battle between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele - 'He is special'
Published 16/06/2025 at 13:45 GMT+1
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It looks like the 2025 Ballon d'Or will be contested between Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele. Who will be crowned the winner? Barcelona legend Gerard Pique has said they are both "incredible people" and has given his verdict on who he thinks should win. Dembele is competing for PSG at the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA this summer.
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Lamine Yamal or Ousmane Dembele?
The Barcelona starlet and the Paris Saint-Germain UEFA Champions League winner are the front-runners for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
Both starred for their clubs last season, racking up goals and assists both domestically and in Europe.
Barcelona legend Gerard Pique played with Dembele during his time in Catalonia and was also at the club as Yamal was coming up through the ranks.
So who does Pique think will be crowned Ballon d’Or winner later this summer?
"I had the opportunity to share a dressing room with Ousmane and Lamine Yamal. They’re both incredible people," he told Sport.es.
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"Ousmane was like a brother, but Lamine is special.
"I would prefer Lamine Yamal to win because he’s at Barcelona and also involved in the King’s League [a seven-a-side tournament founded by Pique]. He has a team, so I would like him to win.
"But I also really like Ousmane, and if he wins, I’ll be happy for him."
According to the latest odds, the top five favourites for this year’s prize are Dembele, Yamal, Vitinha, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe.
Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has said he thinks the prize should go to a player who won the Champions League.
"In my opinion, whoever wins it should be on a team that has won trophies. The Ballon d'Or winner should be in a team that has won the Champions League," said Ronaldo.
Yamal v Dembele
Both Barcelona and PSG won trebles last season - but PSG’s included the Champions League as they thrashed Inter in the final to lift the trophy for the first time.
Dembele did not score in the final, but he finished the season with an impressive 33 goals and 13 assists.
Meanwhile, Yamal notched 18 goals and 21 assists in all competitions.
Dembele is currently in action at the FIFA Club World Cup, where PSG started with a thumping 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
They next play Botafogo and Seattle Sounders in their group.
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