Ballon d'or: "You can't just dismiss Hakimi," says Sébastien Tarrago | OneFootball

Achraf Hakimi - Dembélé

The debate surrounding the Ballon d'Or is heating up just days before the ceremony in Paris. Amid the media frenzy for Dembélé at PSG, Sébastien Tarrago steps up to defend Achraf Hakimi.

Only a few days remain before we discover the winner of the 2024-2025 Ballon d'Or. For many, two clear favorites have emerged: Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal. But for some pundits, leaving out Achraf Hakimi is nothing short of a crime.

Indeed, on L’Equipe du Soir, Sébastien Tarrago revealed his top three for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. The journalist from the French daily refuses to overlook the Atlas Lion, who has had an incredible season. "Debating and putting Dembélé above, I get it. But for me, there’s no contest between Hakimi and Dembélé this season. I’ve always loved Dembélé, but at some point it gets frustrating. In Paris Saint-Germain’s last thirteen Champions League goals, Dembélé scored just once. Hakimi finds the net in every match. And you might say defensively it’s a disaster, but not at all. PSG’s style of play has helped him defensively, sure. But he hasn’t struggled at the back. It’s been a wild season. For me, it’s Yamal first, Hakimi second, and Dembélé third. I understand people can debate everything. But I just can’t see how you can simply sweep Hakimi aside," he explained.