The pinnacle of world soccer, the Ballon d’Or, is an award given to the best overall player in the calendar year in which they reward them for their achievements and contributions to the sport. Won by the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Michael Platini, this award highlights the greats of the sport cementing them in soccer memorabilia forever. This year Ousmane Dembélé, a French forward who represents PSG, won the prestigious award for his outstanding season with Les Parisiens, scoring 35 goals and securing 16 assists across all competitions. Dembele had not always been a goal scoring machine shown through his multiple lows during his career with big name clubs Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund. Overcoming injuries, confidence issues, and a lack of playing time, Dembele represents the soul definition of a comeback player, reviving his career now shining at the apex of global soccer. In essence, the Ballon d’Or does not just represent the best player, but the most improved and influential player during the season, the one who shines through and breaks barriers reforming soccer for the better. The Ballon d’Or this year had many strong candidates for the prize with the likes of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, an 18 year old prodigy who only lost to Dembele by a close 321 points in the voting. Living up to the hype, the Ballon d’Or for the 2024/2025 season had spectators guessing in suspense on who would come on top, creating one of the most intriguing ceremonies in which millions sit on the edge of their seats waiting for the best player to be announced. Even as Ousmane Dembélé had won the award let’s dive deeper into the ones who had just missed out on soccer glory and even one who were in some spectators eyes “robbed” of the award.
Coming in second as stated prior, Lamine Yamal is a Morrocan/Spanish born teenager who was brought up through La Masia (Barcelona’s youth academy) and made his senior team debut at 15 years of age on April 29th, 2023 against Real Betis in a La Liga league match. Showing up in major matches like the Semi-Final euro 2024 match between Spain and France and last year’s Champions league Semi-Final tie between Inter Milan and Barcelona to name a few, Lamine Yamal is the definition of a “clutch” player. From his consistent display of performances Yamal earned a starting spot in the 2024/2025 season in which he had his best season yet. Recording 18 goals and 25 assists for FC Barcelona Yamal at his young age was considered one of the worlds best in his position. In contention for another award during the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the Kopa Trophy rewards the best under 21 player for the season. Using one’s context clues, one can clearly conclude that Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy with a margin of 52 points which in this style of voting is much greater than the 321 points in which he lost to Dembélé with. Critics say that Yamal’s close proximity to winning the Ballon d’Or was mainly due to hype and overstimulation of his abilities in which he shouldn’t have actually come so close to winning the award. This is simply not true as the voting panel consists of 100 journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries for the men’s award whose sole purpose for the season is to study and keep track of players during the season, leaving no room for favoritism and just based on pure scouting and soccer talent. Even as Yamal didn’t win the Ballon d’Or this achievement in his career should be a memorable milestone for him and his progression as a player. Another player for Barcelona, Raphinha came fifth in the Ballon d’Or voting in which many think does not tell the whole story of his spectacular season for the Spanish club, robbing him of his own recognition and respective glory.
Starting his career at Brazil’s Avai FC, Raphinha then signed for the Portuguese Vitória SC and Sporting CP before signing with France’s Rennes in 2019. These moves to Europe exposed Raphinha to the limitless possibilities of soccer allowing him to thrive and succeed at this top level earning a move to Leeds United in 2020 in which he finally was able to build a name for himself. From 2020 and 2022 Raphinha thrived in the Premier League and even famously helped Leeds United stay away from relegation in which he scored a crucial penalty against Brentford. From this, the Brazilian walked the length of the pitch on his knees symbolizing how important the moment was for himself and the club as a whole. This momentous season helped Raphinha secure a transfer from his beloved Leeds United to FC Barcelona to lace up for the 2022/2023 season. Having two decent seasons in which he scored 20 goals and 12 assists Raphinha was at most a rotation player or inconsistent starter for Barcelona. After this Raphinha had his breakout season in 24/25 scoring 32 goals and 7 assists putting him into debates for the Ballon d’Or. With performances against top teams like Benfica and Inter Milan, Raphinha was seen by many as the true Ballon d’Or winner helping Barcelona win countless trophies and reach the Champions League Semi-Final. Despite this, Raphinha came 5th in the voting’s striking outrage and questioning of how he placed so low compared to others like Vitinha of PSG and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Raphinha’s season showed the world how hard work and determination can push a player to the top, and even as not winning the Ballon d’Or his influence on European soccer was undeniable.
In conclusion, Ousmane Dembélé had an outstanding season soaring through the ranks to claim the most sought after trophy in a soccer player’s career, the Ballon d’Or. This season has taught many that the final rankings do not always tell the full story of the season as it neglects peak performances from multiple footballers who are cast out of the spotlight taken up by the winner. Dembélé’s claim of the Ballon d’Or had solidified his career as nothing short of legendary, showing his progression from “bust” to the king of the soccer world. Praise should spread through all who had been nominated focusing on each and every one of their careers during the season. In the end, the Ballon d’Or is not just a trophy but a mirror of the season’s drama, triumphs, and heartbreaks. The award recognizes every story and nominee that partaken among fans that greatness in soccer is built not only on awards but on the passion and perseverance that fuels the beautiful game to this day.
