Ballon d'Or 2025

[MonteCuler]

Also Salah over Raphinha is madness. Salah after PSG and Newcastle performances should probably be 6-7th or something. But statpadding in PL and there you go 4th place

 

[delancey]

hard to believe that the guy who used to sky the ball into the bleachers when aiming for goal is winning best player of the year.

Sure 👍🏻🤭

 

[Birdy]

Deserved. The BD usually goes for the most key player in the best team. There are some exceptions, but Lamine is not high profile enough for that.

PSG won CL with a clear win overall, fair play. PSG players only have a shot at BD based on club level if they get the CL title.

Yes, that is the new rule already in place since 2018 when Modric robbed Salah

But in 2019 they suddenly forgot about it to give it to Messi instead of VVD who was the most key player in the best team

 

[Latschenkiefer]

Yamal would have gotten it from Messi.

 

[serghei]

Oh it's a wonderful story I know but we need to recognize the state of reality

It's nice to see Dembele win this but realistically over entire season Yamal was the better player and hence deserved to win it

Entire season is played to get to the end game and deliver the kill, get the big titles. We got to the end game but failed to do it. PSG got there, except they finished the job.

 

[Barcaman]

So we got to live to see the meme from years back come to life. Dembele won the Balon d Or

 

[Maradona37]

that's true but Yamal also wasn't considered Barca's main contender for the award (that was Raphina) until the Inter first leg

Fair point.

Dembele is a quality player anyway and gives his all for the team so fair play to him, congrats. Bet he's on top of the world right now.

 

[Horatio]

I don't remember anyone - on here or elsewhere - seriously talking about Dembele before January. PSG struggled hugely in the league phase.

They did, but they did dominate ligue 1 from season start onwards. Dembele turnaround was start of december.

 

[MonteCuler]

that's true but Yamal also wasn't considered Barca's main contender for the award (that was Raphina) until the Inter first leg

Well CL semis is where ballon dor contenders are usually shaped

Yamal wasn't main contender but everybody knew if we win CL it will be close between him Rapha and maybe Pedri. And his performances were considerd good over the course of entir season

 

[Rassvet]

Also Salah over Raphinha is madness. Salah after PSG and Newcastle performances should probably be 6-7th or something. But statpadding in PL and there you go 4th place

Salah should have been 4th minimum

He had the best domestic season of any player last season. He was poor in CL knockouts but also unfortunate to get PSG first round.

 

[vegitot]

Oh it's a wonderful story I know but we need to recognize the state of reality

It's nice to see Dembele win this but realistically over entire season Yamal was the better player and hence deserved to win it

Yamal is better player but Dembele had better club season.

 

[M3ls]

The difference is that Flick tolerates Lamina’s poor off-the-ball play because he contributes when he has the ball.
Enrique is more straightforward — he doesn’t care about the benefit you provide with the ball; he will clash with you if you are poor off the ball.

The only exception was Messi. But at that time, Luis Enrique was just starting out and wasn’t as strict. Even with Leo, there were conflicts. Xavi managed to smooth things over.

 

[Maradona37]

They did, but they did dominate ligue 1 from season start onwards. Dembele turnaround was start of december.

Yeah, he's a quality player, works hard for the team. Fair play to him for winning it.

It's been a joke of an award for years, but I think he deserves it. Not fully, but just as much as anyone else did.

 

[CatalinR10]

Yamal 2nd

Raphinha 5th

Pedri 11th ?????????????

Nice robbings towards Barcelona players, well done chiefs.

 

[MonteCuler]

He was a key player even before January. Open advanced stats.

Enrique kicked him out at some point because he wasn't working without the ball properly.

Enrique would have done the same with the current Yamal.

Key player when PSG was barely making 24 in CL and had to scrape a comeback against that dreadful City side

Well that's not much of an achievement