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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) captain Marquinhos believes teammate Ousmane Dembele winning the Ballon d'Or would be well deserved for the 2024/25 season. He admitted that it was tough to pick, as nine players from the Ligue 1 side have been nominated for the award.
Speaking to Le Parisien, Marquinhos said that all his PSG teammates deserved the France Football award this year. However, if he had to pick, he would go for Dembele, as the Frenchman had a stellar season and said:
"I have nine PSG players named, which makes the choice very complicated. If Ousmane wins the Ballon d'Or, it will be widely deserved."
Former France defender Gael Clichy also backed Dembele for the award this year, saying that the PSG star had a season comparable to that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during their prime. He said on RMC Sport in July:
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"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 played 53 matches for PSG last season, scoring 35 goals and assisting 16 times. They won the treble, including the UEFA Champions League, for the first time in their history.
Marquinhos prefers winning the Champions League over Ballon d'Or
Marquinhos spoke to the media ahead of the UEFA Super Cup earlier this year and said that he prefers winning the UEFA Champions League over the Ballon d'Or. He hinted that he likes to win team trophies over individual awards and said:
"It's really enjoyable to start a season like this as Champions League winners. Playing a final like this as the first match is a pleasure. It's a first for me as a PSG player. The collective is the most important. I'm 31, I know how football is. I was nominated [for the Ballon d'Or] a few years ago. Between being nominated and winning a Champions League, I prefer winning a Champions League."
Apart from Ousmane Dembélé, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Fabian Ruiz, Joao Neves, and Nuno Mendes have also been nominated for the award.
