Sergio Ramos Backs Mbappé for 2025 Ballon d’Or Despite Lack of Silverware
Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos has thrown his support behind Kylian Mbappé as the standout candidate for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé and Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.
Mbappé had a remarkable debut season at the Santiago Bernabéu, netting 43 goals and providing 5 assists in 56 appearances across all competitions. Despite his incredible individual form, Madrid’s only trophy this season was the UEFA Super Cup, falling short in La Liga and the Champions League.
In contrast, both Dembélé and Yamal played pivotal roles in highly successful campaigns for their respective clubs.
Dembélé starred for PSG with 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 matches, helping the Parisians secure a historic quadruple, including Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Yamal, only 17, enjoyed a breakout year, recording 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 appearances, as Barcelona clinched a domestic treble, including La Liga and the Copa del Rey.
Still, Ramos believes Mbappé’s individual brilliance outweighs the lack of team success. Speaking to Marca (via Madrid Xtra), Ramos said:
“Kylian Mbappé for the Ballon d’Or? For me, it’s clear. He won the Pichichi, the Golden Boot… Real Madrid didn’t win as much as other teams, but these are individual awards. There are players who have won leagues and cups, but if it were up to me, Mbappé would already have four or five Ballon d’Ors at home.”
If Lamine Yamal does claim the prestigious award in October 2025, he will become the youngest Ballon d’Or winner in history, surpassing Ronaldo Nazário, who won it at age 21 in 1997.
With such elite competition, this year’s Ballon d’Or will mark a new era of icons — and possibly the beginning of a changing of the guard in world football.
