“Other weeks he looks like a fourth-division player” - Ex-England star makes bold Ousmane Dembele comparison with Ronaldo and Messi

Former Ligue 1 star Chris Waddle has criticised the process that saw Ousmane Dembele emulate the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or. The Frenchman beat off competition from Lamine Yamal to emerge as the world's best footballer in 2025 following a hugely successful 2024-25 season.

Waddle, a former England international, told Boyle Sports that he feels like statistics (goals and assists) are given too much relevance in determining the recipient of the Ballon d'Or. He pointed out that Dembele is a great dribbler who is inconsistent and sometimes plays at a very poor level, making him an unpopular choice.

“I think people are too invested in stats. If a player is the top goalscorer, it proves they're the best at scoring goals, but that doesn't necessarily make them a great player. I've had discussions about this: there are great goalscorers and then there are great players, like Lionel Messi. Why did Ronaldo and Messi always win the Ballon d'Or?

“Not now, obviously, Ousmane Dembele won it. Dembele is an off-the-cuff player who sometimes dribbles like Messi, but other weeks he looks like a fourth division player. You never know what you're going to get with him. He's a dribbler", he said (via GOAL).

Ousmane Dembele was a convincing winner of the Ballon d'Or in 2025 after enjoying a fine season. The 28-year-old led Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to the treble, scoring 33 goals and providing 13 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

Alongside Manchester City midfielder Rodri, Karim Benzema, and Luka Modric, Dembele is only the fourth player outside of Ronaldo and his rival to win the Ballon d'Or since Kaka in 2007. The Argentine great has won the award eight times, while his counterpart from Portugal has won it five times.

Barcelona star unable to make choice in Messi-Ronaldo debate

Barcelona forward Marcus Rashford has failed to make his choice known in the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo debate when asked to pick between the pair. The Englishman spoke with ESPN UK ahead of this weekend's El Clasico, the first which he will be involved in.

Rashford answered quick fire questions on his personal choice of players and named the Barcelona legend as the best playmaker ever. He named Ronaldo as the best finisher, but had the Argentine as the greatest player to play in LaLiga.

When faced with the question of the GOAT, the 27-year-old simply named both players as he struggled to make a choice. He played with the Portuguese superstar at Old Trafford and has now joined Barcelona on loan until the end of the season.