PSG sporting director insists Ousmane Dembele deserves this year’s Ballon d’Or | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Luis Campos has insisted that Ousmane Dembele deserves this year’s Ballon d’Or, dismissing suggestions that Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal should take the prize.

Campos, speaking on French radio show Rothen s’enflamme, said the Ballon d’Or should reflect the achievements of a single season rather than future potential.

He praised Yamal as an outstanding prospect but argued his record with Barcelona did not compare to Dembele’s decisive role in PSG’s treble-winning campaign.

“We are looking at Lamine Yamal as a huge player for the future,” Campos said. “But we are talking about a very specific season. What has he won? The Spanish league.”

In contrast, Dembele led PSG to their first Champions League triumph, finishing as top scorer in Ligue 1 and collecting both Best Player in Ligue 1 and Best Player in the Champions League awards.

His season total of 35 goals and 16 assists, alongside decisive displays in Europe, convinced Campos there should be no debate over the award.

“Whether his name is Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, there is no discussion,” he continued. “If Dembele does not win, it means the people who voted do not have the skills to do so.”

The Ballon d’Or has a long history of rewarding the game’s greatest stars, with past winners including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric.

PSG have nine nominees in total for the Ballon d’Or, with Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha also recognised after winning the Nations League. Campos highlighted them as deserving candidates but made clear Dembele was on another level.

“The truth is that the best player in the Champions League and in Ligue 1 is Ousmane Dembele,” he said. “The Ballon d’Or should be his.”

The French forward left Barcelona for Paris in 2023 and flourished under Luis Enrique, who deployed him as a false nine. His blend of pace, creativity and finishing made him central to PSG’s domestic and European dominance, culminating in a historic treble.

The Ballon d’Or will be announced on 22 September, with both Dembele and Yamal on the shortlist. The two are currently sidelined through injury but could meet when PSG face Barcelona in the Champions League group stage on 1 October.

For Campos, however, the verdict should already be clear. “This season, the player with the best statistics and the most prominence in all competitions is Ousmane Dembele,” he concluded.