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Barcelona midfielder Gavi has made a bold claim about Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele in the 2005 Ballon d'Or race. The Spaniard believes the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward should earn a top-three finish but insists his 17-year-old teammate deserves to win the accolade.
Ousmane Dembele has received many shouts for this year's Ballon d'Or award after firing Paris Saint-Germain to Champions League glory. The Frenchman provided two beautiful assists as the Parisians hammered five past Inter Milan on Saturday, May 31, in the final.
While Gavi believes the former Barcelona winger should get a spot on the podium, he firmly feels the award should go to Lamine Yamal for his exceptional campaign.
“Dembele has had an incredible season and should be in the top three for sure, but what Lamine has done this season is exceptional, a unique player," he told Tot Costa on Catalunya Radio (via GOAL).
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The Barcelona winger recorded an amazing 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 appearances across all competitions in the recently concluded season, playing as the go-to man for his team. He also helped the Blaugrana claim a domestic treble of LaLiga, Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
Dembele, on the other hand, managed to bag 33 goals and 15 assists for PSG in 49 matches across all fronts. He also won the Champions League, the Ligue 1, the French Cup and the French Super Cup during the campaign.
What next for Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal as the battle for Ballon d'Or goes on
Although the club season is already done and dusted with, the battle between Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal for the Ballon d'Or is far from over. The two players could face off on international duty this week.
France and Spain are scheduled to go head-to-head in the semifinals of the UEFA Nations League on Thursday (June 5) at the MHP Arena. However, the result of the encounter may not have a major influence on the Ballon d'Or race.
Other players are also vying for the prestigious individual award. The likes of Raphinha, Kylian Mbappe, Pedri and Mohamed Salah have all had spectacular campaigns and would fancy their chances.
