Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets snubbed current Blaugrana stars Lamine Yamal and Raphinha while naming his preferred candidate to win the highly coveted Ballon d’Or award for the year 2025.
Both Yamal and Raphinha were absolutely sensational for Barcelona as the Catalan club completely conquered Spanish football by clinching the La Liga crown, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
Despite these exploits, Busquets favours another nominee over the Barcelona duo. While the Inter Miami star acknowledged that Yamal and Raphinha “deserve it” as well, he expressed his hope that another former Barcelona teammate will claim the prestigious award.
“I hope Ousmane Dembélé will win the 2025 Ballon d’Or,” Busquets told reporters.
“We know what kind of player he is, the difference he makes and what he can do. Of course, I also have teammates at Barcelona who deserve it, but I don’t know how the voters will decide and what the decisive factor will be.”
Busquets and Dembele were teammates at Barcelona for six years but the Frenchman failed to hit the heights that caused the Blaugrana to splash €145 million in transfer fees to acquire his services back in 2017.
Dembele made the switch from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 for a fraction of his previous transfer fee. His return to France didn’t start as planned, with an underwhelming debut season that raised doubts about the move. However, everything changed in the following campaign.
In 2024/2025, Dembele experienced a remarkable resurgence, reinventing himself in a new No. 9 role. The transformation paid off spectacularly as he delivered a career-best season, amassing 51 goal contributions across all competitions. His brilliance proved decisive in PSG’s treble-winning year, securing Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Champions League.
Olaoluwa is a dedicated sports writer and passionate football enthusiast with two years of experience. Known for his keen analysis and commitment to the game, his work reflects a deep love for football, blending strategic insight with the emotional moments that make it a global passion. He is focused on honing his skills and consistently aims to inspire and engage readers through every article he writes.
