My thoughts on this year’s Ballon d’Or winner

Greeting Steemit Family

This is an award every football player in Europe dreams of winning. This is the 69th edition, and we have seen this award handed to some of the greatest players of all time. It is always a tough competition when you look at the shortlisted players for the award.

We’ve had the likes of Messi, Ronaldinho, Cristiano, George Weah, Zidane, Figo, Benzema, and others receive the award in the past. Some players retire feeling unaccomplished simply because they never managed to win this award. It’s a trophy that always boosts a player’s achievements, as we can clearly see in the case of Messi.

In the past, it was all about goals. But as time went on, there was a shift. No longer only goals, but also other qualities started being considered. That is why we began seeing goalkeepers and midfielders winning the trophy. This also created last year’s controversy, where Real Madrid fans (in particular) felt the award was taken away from Vini Jr and handed to Rodri of Man City.

As I mentioned earlier, several factors come into consideration. I will always say that those who wanted the award to go to a Real Madrid player should have managed their votes better.
Personally, I think Jude had a better season than Vini Jr last year, and he would have had a greater chance if everyone had backed him.

It’s no longer just about goals, it’s also about your overall contribution on the field and your level of fair play. That means your attitude towards your teammates, opponents, and fans. All these factors are put together to determine the Ballon d’Or winner. And because of this, we have started seeing other positions being recognized, not just forwards.

This year was a great one, with many players deserving to win the award. Traditionally, I have noticed that the winner always comes from the team that performed the best in that season. The team that has won both domestic and international trophies. In 2025, Paris Saint-Germain won all the domestic trophies, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup.

With all these trophies in their cabinet, it is clear that they have the greatest player in the world at the moment. It is not easy to achieve all that in a single season, and for those of us who watched their matches, we agree they deserve the recognition. I had options within the PSG squad: Vitinha, Dembele, and Hakimi.

I’m not a big fan of Dembele, and I personally believe games are controlled from the midfield. That’s why my choice for the Ballon d’Or 2025 was Vitinha. But instead, voters from all over the world chose Dembele. Yes, with his contributions, goals, and assists, he made his case.

Dembele played 53 games with 35 goals and 16 assists, giving him a total contribution of 51, compared to Lamine Yamal’s 43 goals and assists. About Lamine Yamal, I personally think those who wanted the award to go to the Barcelona player misplaced their votes. To me, Raphinha had a better season than Lamine. It is the same kind of mistake Real Madrid fans made last season.

Congratulations to Ousmane Dembele. I will not take away from your contribution last season, which helped PSG finally achieve what they had been chasing for years, the Champions League. I remember all the years PSG spent heavily in the transfer market just to get players who could deliver the Champions League trophy to the club. You guys have written a great history for PSG. Congratulations again to PSG.

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Cheers
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@fombae