With Liverpool and Barcelona Out of the Champions League, Could Ousmane Dembélé Be Making a Late Charge for the Ballon d'Or?
With Liverpool and Barcelona now out of the Champions League, a new conversation has emerged: Who will win the Ballon d'Or?
The 2024 Ballon d'Or shocked many fans as Manchester City defensive midfielder Rodri claimed the prestigious award, beating out Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior, who had been labeled the "people's favorite" by several media outlets. Personally, my favorite was Jude Bellingham, whom I believe had a major impact during Madrid's 203/2024 UCL campaign.
This season, Mohamed Salah was the early frontrunner. Liverpool were performing well in both the Champions League and the Premier League before they were knocked out by PSG. Attention then turned to Raphinha, as Barcelona were still in the UCL and he was a key figure in their campaign. Unfortunately, they were recently knocked out by Inter Milan in one of the most entertaining semi-final matches of the tournament.
With both Liverpool and Barcelona out, attention has now shifted to PSG's left winger turned striker, Ousmane Dembélé. Dembélé joined PSG from Barcelona in a £50 million deal. Often labeled a "Barcelona flop," I personally disagree with that tag. Much of the criticism stemmed from his hefty £105 million price tag when he joined Barça from Dortmund—an amount that naturally created immense pressure. He was brought in as a replacement for Neymar, expected to fill the shoes of the Brazilian superstar who had just departed.
However, Dembélé struggled with persistent injuries, and eventually, contract disputes with the club surfaced. Reports claimed he wanted to leave for free, which did not sit well with fans. Incidents like lateness to training and locker room tensions, as reported by the media, further damaged his reputation. He was even booed by fans at Camp Nou.
Despite all that, Dembélé made a fresh start at PSG in August 2023, playing as a striker—despite being a natural left winger—and has thrived. He has scored 33 goals and provided 11 assists in 46 games, won the Ligue 1 title with PSG, and now, PSG are in the Champions League final.
Could Dembélé be making a late push for the Ballon d'Or?
While some may argue that Ligue 1 is a "farmers' league," let’s not forget that PSG—representing that same league—have defeated Premier League teams, often considered part of the world's best league.
So, the big question remains: Should Ousmane Dembélé be included in Ballon d'Or conversations?
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