Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has named Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal as the leading contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
Speaking on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel in conversation with former teammate Michael Owen, Ferdinand highlighted Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe as the standout player, ranking him above both Dembele and Yamal.
“If you consider everyone being at their best, I think Mbappe is that guy,” Ferdinand said. “Even if we consider the two main contenders for the Ballon d’Or this year in Dembele and Yamal, even if they are at their best, I would still say Mbappe.
“He scored 40-odd goals last season. If Real Madrid won the league last season and got far in the Champions League, he probably gets the Ballon d’Or.”
