Former Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester United manager José Mourinho has named his preferred candidates for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, overlooking Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé.
Speaking to Canal 11, Mourinho backed Paris Saint-Germain duo and fellow Portuguese stars Vitinha and Nuno Mendes to win the prestigious award. He emphasized that individual accolades should be closely tied to team success.
“For me, any individual trophy must always have a direct connection to titles,” Mourinho said, as quoted by SPORTbible. “I love them both [Vitinha and Mendes]; I can’t tell the difference. The only thing I’d say is that there are still a few great midfielders out there, but now we’re also seeing full-backs like that.”
He jokingly added that his agent, Jorge Mendes, might not be pleased with his stance:
“I’d like one of them to win, obviously, but then Jorge Mendes will get mad at me because he only thinks Yamal, his player, should win.”
Despite Mourinho’s preference, Dembélé and Yamal remain strong contenders for the award, having been standout performers throughout the season.
Vitinha, Mendes, and Dembele all played crucial roles in PSG’s dominant campaign, helping the French side secure a domestic treble and the UEFA Champions League title. They also reached the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, where they were defeated by Chelsea.
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