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Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets has surprised many by backing Ousmane Dembele, rather than teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
Yamal has been widely tipped as a frontrunner after a stunning year that saw him guide Spain to Euro 2024 glory before helping Barcelona clinch a domestic treble in 2024–25.
Despite this, Busquets, now 37, threw his support behind his former teammate. He explained:
I hope Ousmane Dembele will win the 2025 Ballon d’Or. We all know his quality, the impact he makes and the difference he brings. Of course, there are players at Barcelona who deserve it as well, but it depends on what voters are looking for.
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Sergio Busquests
Busquets’ comments underline his long-standing admiration for the Frenchman, who endured a turbulent spell at Barcelona after arriving from Borussia Dortmund for a record €145 million in 2017.
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Injuries and inconsistency plagued his six years in Spain, but his move to PSG in 2023 reignited his career.
Now 28, Dembele has enjoyed a spectacular campaign, being the main man for PSG and producing 51 goal contributions.
Ousmane Dembele
He led PSG to a domestic double and their first Champions League title since 2020, marking a remarkable turnaround in his career.
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While Yamal and Raphinha have also been widely tipped to win the golden ball, recent power rankings show Dembele as heavy favourite to win the award.
Chances of winning 2025 Ballon d’Or
Ballon d'Or 2025 Top 6 favourites chances
Busquets believes in the season under review, no player was matched Dembele’s performance and decisiveness for their club.
Meanwhile, current Ballon d'Or chances according to multiple bookmakers show Dembele as the heavy favourite with a whopping 80% chance of being named the best player in the world.
Yamal, considered the closest contender, is not so close to the PSG star in terms of his chance of winning.
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He has only a 25% chance of emerging as the winner. Surprisingly, Salah ranks higher than Barcelona’s Raphinha with just one percent separating them.