Deschamps reveals his pick for Ballon d’Or ahead of huge Nations League clash | OneFootball

In a press conference ahead of France’s UEFA Nations League meeting with Spain, Didier Deschamps confirmed that he believes Ousmane Dembélé is the deserving recipient of the Ballon d’Or – and not Lamine Yamal.

“He’s had a great season and he’s been decisive for us,” Deschamps said, noting that “he demands a lot of himself and he’s set the bar higher this season.”

“Of course I’m backing Ousmane,” he told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the Ballon d’Or race, adding that “the Nations League could provide some answers, as could the Club World Cup. I won’t speak about Yamal, that’s pitting him against Ousmane. But if I had to choose, I’d say [Ousmane] 100%. […] With his season, he deserves it.”

It’s rather remarkable that Yamal, who is still yet to celebrate his 18th birthday, is being considered for football’s greatest individual accolade – but he’s not the only star youngster who could take to the pitch at Munich’s Allianz Arena as the sides fight for a place in the UEFA Nations League final.

“Désiré [Doué] finsihed the season really well, with his impact on the Champions League final. I know him well. In his mind, everything’s very straightforward. It’s a credit to him that he’s got this far, and we want to see more moments like this,” Deschamps explained.

France’s semi-final clash against Spain gets underway in Stuttgart at 20:00 BST [21:00 CEST] on Thursday 5 June.