Kylian Mbappé Tips Ousmane Dembélé for 2025 Ballon d’Or Glory

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has thrown his support behind France teammate Ousmane Dembélé as the rightful winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

Speaking in an interview with TeleFoot, Mbappé praised Dembélé’s outstanding season with Paris Saint-Germain, insisting the winger deserves the game’s most prestigious individual accolade.

“Ousmane deserves it, I have supported him from the beginning,” Mbappé said.

“If it was up to me, I would bring him the trophy directly to his home.”

Dembélé has been a standout performer for PSG this year, helping the French champions secure five trophies in 2025, although they narrowly missed out on the Club World Cup title after a final defeat to Chelsea.

Opinion

Mbappé’s endorsement of Dembélé is not just a show of friendship but also recognition of a career revival many thought unlikely. For years, Dembélé was haunted by injuries and inconsistency, yet in 2025, he has blossomed into PSG’s creative heartbeat. His pace, flair, and ability to change games have been central to the club’s dominance.

The Ballon d’Or has often been criticized for leaning too heavily toward goalscorers, with midfield magicians and wingers often overlooked. If Dembélé does walk away with the golden ball, it would be a refreshing reminder that football is not only about who scores, but also about who makes magic happen.

That said, the competition for 2025 will be fierce. With Mbappé himself in scintillating form at Real Madrid, Erling Haaland continuing his scoring spree, and Vinícius Júnior shining on the big stage, Dembélé will need more than just trophies—he’ll need to convince voters that his influence truly outweighed all others.

Still, the thought of seeing Dembélé, once labeled as “injury-prone” and “inconsistent,” rise to the pinnacle of world football is a beautiful footballing redemption story. And maybe, just maybe, Mbappé is right—2025 could finally be Ousmane Dembélé’s year.