Monaco star, Paul Pogba, has thrown his support behind Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele for this year’s Ballon d’Or award, citing the forward’s crucial role in PSG’s historic Champions League triumph.
Dembele played a standout role in PSG’s remarkable 2024/2025 season, guiding the club to their first-ever UEFA Champions League title with a dominant 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final.
The 27-year-old capped off the campaign with an impressive 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.
Despite strong competition from Barcelona’s teenage sensation, Lamine Yamal, Pogba believes Dembele’s achievements, particularly in Europe’s biggest competition, give him the edge in the race for football’s most prestigious individual prize.
During a conversation with popular YouTuber iShowSpeed, Pogba dismissed suggestions of national bias, instead highlighting Dembele’s decisive contributions in high-stakes moments.
“It’s not about that [choosing Dembele because he is French],” said the former Juventus and Manchester United midfielder during an interview with iShowSpeed.
“It is my opinion that Ousmane Dembele will always be a bit ahead of Lamine Yamal [this year], even if he killed it this year, because he won the UEFA Champions League. Mbappe was clearly in his way’ – Dembele position switch ‘a moment of genius’
“He was so important, scoring goals in big games and doing stuff like that. This is his year; if he does not win it now, he will never win it. So I will definitely go for [Dembele]. That is what I think.
“It can go both ways, though, but that is what I think. It does not really matter what I think, I think about what they are going to say.”
Dembele’s form has not only reignited PSG’s European campaign but also firmly placed him in the conversation for the Ballon d’Or.
Whether the voters agree with Pogba remains to be seen, but the winger’s performances this season have certainly made a compelling case.