The Ballon d’Or is one of the most prestigious awards in soccer. Awarded since 1956, it is given to the player deemed to have performed the best in the previous season. Previously, the Ballon d’Or has been controlled by both Lionel Messi (8) and Cristiano Ronaldo (5). But as their careers wind down, new players have been getting crowned with the prestigious award.
With the criteria recently changing, the 3 most important requirements to win the award have been announced, with them being Individual performance, collective success/titles received, and sportsmanship/fair play.
The consensus top 3 right now leading the world is the Brazilian winger Raphina for FC Barcelona, forward Ousmane Dembele for Paris Saint-Germain, and the 17-year-old winger for FC Barcelona, Lamine Yamal.
After an iffy season last year for Barcelona, Raphina has been a nightmare for Spanish defenders, getting on the scoresheet any time he can. His ridiculous 34 goals and 25 assists on 56 appearances give him a great shot at the award, especially playing in what people say is the hardest league, La Liga. Even with their crushing loss to Inter in the Champions League semi-final, leading to one less potential award in this historic season, they were still able to win La Liga with 3 weeks left in the season. Most polls have him around number 3 in the rankings, but with the Club World Cup still coming up this June, all of these are subject to change.
At age 17, superstar Lamine Yamal has not just taken Spain by storm, but all of Europe. A teenager has never won the Ballon d’Or, and the fact that Lamine still has time to break that record is impressive. Lamine Yamal has had a significant impact not only on Barcelona but also on the international team; at the age of 16, he single-handedly led his country to become champions of Europe. Even though his stats don’t shout out as much as Raphina’s, with 18 goals and 25 assists in 54 appearances, his effect on the ball is what makes his presence on the pitch one of the best. Through the 2 legs of their Champions League semi-final games, Lamine Yamal absolutely dissected any person Inter tried putting on him, even getting double and triple-teamed at times and still finding the right ball and making the correct play. In the first leg, he had an absolutely insane curling goal right off the post to start a comeback that just came up short. His appearance in important games and overall effectiveness of the pitch are why most people have him as second in the world, with many even having him as the best and most effective player.
What Ousmane Dembele has accomplished this year has been nothing short of extraordinary. His switch from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain has been great for his overall production and contribution on the pitch. His contributions have been in crucial games, like his quick strike against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final, sending them to the next round. With Dembele leading PSG to a dominant French campaign, winning the French league, Ligue 1. His run in the Champions League has been almost effortless, dominating almost all of Europe, and he is now in the Finals against International(Italy). With such a tight race for the award, a great performance for the title of Europe may have him set perfectly for the Ballon d’Or.
The Champions League final is this Saturday, May 31st, at 3 pm, where Paris Saint-Germain and Inter will fight to decide the Champions of Europe. And possibly very much influence who is to win the Ballon d’Or.