Ballon d’Or 2025: Barcelona Star Marcus Rashford Picks Between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele
- The race for the 2025 Ballon d'Or is heating up ahead of the nominees announcement in two weeks
- Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona star Lamine Yamal are the top favourites
- New Barca forward Marcus Rashford has expressed his thoughts about who should win the award
Barcelona forward Marcus Rashford has become the latest player to share his thoughts about the ongoing Ballon d'Or debate ahead of the nominees’ announcement.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or is expected to be a two-way battle between Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal.
Source: Getty Images
According to beIN Sport, France Football will announce the nominees for the 2025 award on August 7, while the ceremony will be held in Paris on September 22, 2025.
Rashford picks Ballon d'Or winner
Marcus Rashford was not straightforward in naming who should win the award and instead provided a reason why either Dembele or Yamal could win it.
“It depends on how you look at it, just on the footballing ability side, I think he [Yamal] should win it,” he said as quoted by Gazeta Express.
“But then, if you see Dembélé in the Champions League, of course, he can win it. It depends on your perspective. I wouldn't be disappointed if one of them won it.”
The Manchester United Academy graduate further heaped praise on Yamal, claiming he has never seen anything like him before, considering his age.
“It's hard to describe it in words because he's not supposed to be doing things like that at 16 or 17. He's been playing at the highest level since he was 16. I don't think we've seen anything like that before,” he added.
He added that he would like to play alongside the Spanish international, a wish which came true after joining Barcelona on loan this week.
According to The Athletic, Barca signed him on an initial loan and have an option to buy for €30 million. Rashford reduced his salary by nearly 50% for Barcelona to cover it fully.
Dembele vs Yamal in the Ballon d'Or race
Dembele is the clear favourite for the Golden Ball award, but other football fans believe Yamal can rival him after his exploits for Barcelona last season.
Source: Getty Images
The France international scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists in 53 goals for the Parisians and was named the best player in Ligue 1 and the Champions League.
Yamal scored 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 games for Barcelona, helping them beat Real Madrid to win the La Liga, Super Cup and Copa del Rey.
The Golden Ball winner will be decided by votes from one journalist in the top 100 countries on the FIFA rankings.
Pogba picks Ballon d'Or winner
Legit.ng reported that Paul Pogba picked his Ballon d'Or winner days after returning from his doping ban and signed for French club AS Monaco.
The former Manchester United midfielder sided with his compatriot Dembele to win the award, even though he acknowledged Yamal's brilliance.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
Source: Legit.ng
