Boluwatife Kehinde
Football’s biggest individual prize is about to be decided and the stage could not be grander.
On Monday, September 22, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris will host the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, a night that could define the careers of two of the game’s brightest stars.
Reports suggest that Ronaldinho the Brazilian icon who dazzled for both Barcelona and PSG, may be the man to present the trophy. It would be a poetic twist: the legend handing football’s most coveted award to one of the heirs carrying his old clubs on their shoulders.
The race is tight. On one side, Barcelona’s teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal. At just 18, he has rewritten history books, driving Barça to a domestic treble and picking up the LALIGA EA SPORTS Best U-23 Player award. His 18 goals and 21 assists came with milestones the youngest scorer in El Clásico, the youngest to reach 100 appearances, and the jewel in Spain’s victorious Euro 2024 campaign. For many, he represents the future already arriving.
On the other side, Ousmane Dembélé, reborn, relentless, and finally fulfilling his promise. Under Luis Enrique, the PSG forward became the face of a season to remember, delivering 32 goals and eight assists as the Parisians stormed to a historic treble, capped by their first-ever Champions League crown. His supporters argue his numbers leave no debate. PSG sporting director Luis Campos was blunt: “If his name were Messi or Ronaldo, there’d be no discussion.”
Even Ronaldinho has tipped his hat to the Frenchman, describing Dembélé’s flair as “slightly Brazilian,” unpredictable and unstoppable. Yet the romance of the night lies in whether Ronaldinho hands the award to Yamal Barcelona’s new prince or to Dembélé, the redemption story of Paris.
The Ballon d’Or has always been about more than numbers. It’s about moments, stories, and legacy. This year, it’s youth versus redemption. And the world is waiting.
