Dembélé and Vitinha "deserve" the Ballon d'Or, says Rodri | OneFootball

Spanish midfielder Rodri, winner of the 2024 Ballon d'Or, stated this Saturday (6) that Paris Saint-Germain players Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha, European champions, “deserve” to succeed him in the individual award.

“Out of fondness, I would love for the winner to be Lamine (Yamal) or Pedri, but if we base it on sporting merit and season performance, Ousmane (Dembélé) or Vitinha deserve it,” Rodri declared at a press conference this Saturday, on the eve of ‘La Roja’s’ second match in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, against Turkey.

“It’s hard to judge, because obviously I have preferences for my teammates. But I must also say that Paris Saint-Germain was the best team of the season, so it would be difficult not to give the award to a player from that team. I’m also happy for Luis (Enrique, coach) and Fabián (Ruiz),” he added.

PSG Nominees for the Ballon d'Or

Nine Paris Saint-Germain players, who achieved the historic ‘quadruple crown’ (Champions League, French Championship, French Cup, and Super Cup), are among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or, whose winner will be announced in Paris on September 22.

Dembélé, the big favorite alongside Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, will be joined by his teammates Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was signed by Manchester City.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.