"I would be very happy if it were him" - Didier Deschamps names his favorite to win 2025 Ballon d'Or 

France national team manager Didier Deschamps has backed Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Ousmane Dembele to win the Ballon d'Or this year. He said he would be delighted to see the Frenchman take home the prestigious award.

Speaking to the media, Deschamps said that Dembele deserved to win the Ballon d'Or this year after his treble-winning season with PSG. He said:

"Ousmane Dembélé deserves the Ballon d’Or, and I would be very happy if it were him."

It was not the first time the France manager spoke about Dembele and the France Football award this summer. Speaking to ESPN in June, the 56-year-old heaped praise on the former Barcelona star and said:

"Of course I am for Ousmane, since he is French and with the season he is celebrating. Obviously, this Nations League can bring some elements of response, the Club World Cup too. If I have to choose, I tell you Ous, 100%, of course. If you ask me about the Spaniards, I don't think they will tell you the same thing. But obviously, Ousmane, with the season he is having, deserves it."

Ousmane Dembele played a key role in PSG's Ligue 1 title win with 21 goals and six assists last season. He also scored eight goals and assisted six times in their UEFA Champions League run, which saw them win the tournament for the first time in their history.

Gael Clichy backed Ousmane Dembele for the Ballon d'Or

Gael Clichy was on RMC Sport in July when he claimed that Ousmane Dembele deserved to win the Ballon d'Or this year. He said that the PSG star had shown why he was the best player in the 2024/25 season and said (via GOAL):

"The Ballon d'Or rewards players who are decisive: you have to take into account individual statistics, which have been highlighted by Cristiano and Lionel Messi. This year, Ousmane Dembele has some pretty crazy numbers. And when he came on during the match, he was sharp, with or without possession, when he pressed.

"Failing to reach 90 goals in a year, for me today Dembele is the winner hands down. With Thierry Henry, we say that Ousmane is the most complete, he can score and make others score, cause chaos around him, he contributes defensively with his pressing... Today we have to give credit to Ousmane on these pressing phases, especially for players of this quality, he makes the work of an entire team easier, it's rare to see a player like that get in tune."

Ousmane Dembele is in the top 30 nominees for the award, along with eight of his PSG teammates. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Fabián Ruiz and Vitinha have all made the shortlist.