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Pundit Santiago Canizares has named Vitinha and Achraf Hakimi as his two favorites for the 2025 Ballon d'Or ahead of Ousmane Dembele. The three Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stars played a key role as Le Parisien secured a historic quadruple.
Luis Enrique's side won the Ligue 1, Trophées des Champions, and Coupe de France. They wrapped up the season with an emphatic 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final on May 31. Ousmane Dembele was instrumental to PSG's success and has been tipped by many to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or. The Frenchman propelled his side with 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 matches across competitions.
However, Canizares believes Vitinha and Hakimi are worthier winners of the prestigious Golden Ball than Dembele. He pointed out that the Portuguese is PSG's chief playmaker, while the Moroccan defender had an impressive campaign as well. The former goalkeeper also opined that Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, who is also a Ballon d'Or favorite, didn't do enough to win the award.
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"I don't see Dembele as the winner. He played well, Luis Enrique made him stronger. Let's see what Lamine [Yamal] can do in the Nations League. I believe there will be other years when no one can compete with him, but this year he lacks the statistics, and he didn't play in the Champions League final," Canizares said (via Tribuna)
"Achraf [Hakimi] had an impressive season; Vitinha is PSG's leader in terms of play. In my opinion, the race should be between Vitinha and Achraf," he added.
Vitinha contributed just seven goals and three assists in 52 matches for PSG last term. Nonetheless, he was a vital cog in Enrique's setup, dictating and organizing play from the midfield. Hakimi, meanwhile, had nine goals and 14 assists in 48 games. He was a dominant figure in defense, helping the team keep 16 clean sheets.
Former France defender tips Lamine Yamal to win 2025 Ballon d'Or ahead of Ousmane Dembele
Santiago Canizares is not the only notable figure who has snubbed Ousmane Dembele in the race for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Former Le Bleus defender Frank Lebouef has also stated that the 28-year-old PSG star is not the front runner for the award. Lebouef backed Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to beat Dembele to the coveted accolade.
He told ESPN FC:
"I don’t think Dembele will win the Ballon d’Or. I think Lamine Yamal will win it."
Lamine Yamal had a stellar 2024-25 season with Barcelona as they clinched a domestic treble. The 17-year-old was influential for his team, registering 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 games across competitions. The Spaniard, though, recently claimed he was not bothered about winning the Ballon d'Or.
