The legendary footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, expressed his opinion about the highly anticipated race for the Ballon d’Or.
Still, he didn’t single out a favorite, instead acknowledging how many highly talented players are in the race.
These comments took place during a press conference ahead of the Nations League match against Portugal, and he described the competitive nature of this year’s award, with a number of players producing matches to warrant discussions for the award with their performances at both the domestic and international levels.
Ronaldo’s failure to identify one of the players has led to fans and pundits discussing who will ultimately win this year’s award, but for the time being, the award is completely wide open for contenders for excellence across all competitions.
The players Cristiano Ronaldo mentions in order are Barcelona’s 17-year-old superstar, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembélé from Paris Saint-Germain, and Vitinha.
Yamal has been one of the extremely talented youth players to enter La Liga this year and has established himself in Spain with his flair and maturity, with a total of 12 goals and 15 assists during the entire 2024/25 season.
A usual contender, Mbappé continues to demonstrate his speed and goal-scoring ability, registering 30 goals in total in all competitions.
Dembélé at Paris Saint-Germain has also impressed Cristiano Ronaldo with his creativity and versatility following injury and has become established in the starting XI.
Vitinha has improved his stock and has become more established as he has played commanding midfield performances for both Porto and Portugal.
The fact that Ronaldo included those names is a representation of youth and experience battling for the prized honour.
Ronaldo’s comments highlight the ever-changing landscape of the sport.
New talents like Yamal and Vitinha are putting pressure on stars like Mbappé and Dembélé.
With the Ballon d’Or being awarded soon, discussions are heating up as to who is deserving of the honourable crown.
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