In less than a month, the Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony will take place in Paris, and anticipation continues to build by the day. Based on both individual performances and collective success last season, the list of frontrunners seems clear. Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal is undoubtedly among them, but Sergio Busquets hopes the winner will be someone else.
During a press conference in Florida, ahead of the Leagues Cup match between Inter Miami and Orlando City, the Spanish midfielder was asked about the France Football award and didn’t hesitate to throw his support behind Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele.
“I hope he can win it,” Busquets said of Dembele. “I’m very happy that things have gone well for him. I would’ve liked Barça to win the Champions League, but I was really happy for the staff and former teammates who are now at PSG… He’s had a great season. He’s been more consistent, and we all know the kind of player he is, the difference he makes, what he’s capable of.”
Busi played alongside Ousmane at Barcelona between 2017 and 2023, and was a teammate of Fabian Ruiz with the Spanish national team as well. He also spent significant time with Luis Enrique, who coached Barcelona from 2014 to 2017, and later led Spain at the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Sergio Busquets and Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona speak during a UEFA Champions League match vs Inter Milan on October 12, 2022.
Busquets shares thoughts on the Ballon d’Or voting
In the same press conference, Busquets also commented on other players nominated for the Ballon d’Or. Among them are four Barcelona players he played with during his final years at the Catalan side: Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Pedri, and Yamal.
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Busquets only played one match with Lamine — in April 2023, during Yamal’s debut against Real Betis. Following that season, the Spanish midfielder left Barcelona for the first time in his career and joined Inter Miami to play alongside Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba.
Speaking about the 2025 Ballon d’Or, Sergio was candid: “I have teammates at Barça who would also deserve it, but I don’t know what the voters will decide — whether winning a title as big as the Champions League will carry more weight, or something else,” Busquets said. “I’ve never gotten too involved in these awards because it’s hard to judge and say who’s the best across so many positions. I wish everyone the best.”
Barcelona and PSG players who have won the Ballon d’Or
With the ceremony less than a month away, the leading favorites to win the Ballon d’Or appear to be Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal. If the French winger takes it, it would mark just the second time a PSG player has won the trophy — the first being Lionel Messi in 2021.
On the other hand, if Yamal claims the award, it would be the 13th time a Barcelona player is crowned the best in the world by France Football. The previous winners were Luis Suarez (1960), Johan Cruyff (1973 and 1974), Hristo Stoichkov (1994), Rivaldo (1999), Ronaldinho (2005), and Lionel Messi (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2019).
