"I know what goes on behind" - Cristiano Ronaldo comments on who should win Ballon d'Or as Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele battle for award
Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo no longer believes in the Ballon d'Or and other individual awards due to what goes on behind the scenes. However, he maintained that the prestigious award should go to a UEFA Champions League winner amidst the ongoing contest between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or five times during his storied career, the second-most in football history, only behind Lionel Messi (eight). However, the 40-year-old last claimed the prestigious award in 2017.
Cristiano Ronaldo was recently asked who deserved to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or. In response, he hinted at Ousmane Dembele by stating (via O Jogo):
"I like to give advice to whoever wants to listen, in private. You know me very well, I've already said that I think that individual awards have lost their consensus on merit. There's nothing you can say that will make you win. Normally, in my opinion, the one who should win is the one who stands out and wins the Champions League."
He also tipped Lamine Yamal to win the award in the coming years:
"Whoever wins the Champions League has many players who can win. I no longer believe much in individual awards, because I know what goes on behind the truth. The boy has great potential, without a doubt. If he continues like this, in two, three or four years he'll win, easily. Both him and Mbappé, Dembélé, Vitinha, other Spanish players who are emerging. Individual awards are already a bit irrelevant."
Ousmane Dembele had a fantastic season, helping Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) win the quadruple, including the Ligue 1 title and Champions League. The 28-year-old recorded 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions and was named the UCL Player of the Season.
However, Lamine Yamal also excelled for Barcelona and remains a favorite in the Ballon d'Or race. The 17-year-old garnered 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 appearances across all competitions, helping the Blaugrana win three trophies, including the LaLiga title.
Yamal also recently scored a brace to knock out Dembele and France following Spain's 5-4 win in the UEFA Nations League semi-final. The former could potentially become the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or if Spain defeat Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the final on Sunday, June 8.
"These same journalists were the ones who at some point voted for him to win" - When Rodri questioned Cristiano Ronaldo's comments following 2024 Ballon d'Or win
Manchester City midfielder Rodri once admitted he was left surprised after Cristiano Ronaldo questioned his 2024 Ballon d'Or victory. The former won the award last October, despite Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior being considered the favorite to win.
Vinicius excelled for Real Madrid last season, playing a pivotal role in the club winning the treble, which included the Champions League and LaLiga titles. Despite this, Rodri was voted the winner after winning the Premier League title and Euro 2024.
Following this, Cristiano Ronaldo commented (via TNT Sports):
"In my opinion, he [Vinicius] deserved to win the golden ball. It was unfair, in my opinion. I say [it] here in front of everybody. They gave it to Rodri, he deserved it too, but they should have given it to Vinicius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final."
As per the aforementioned source, Rodri responded earlier this year in January:
"Well, it was a surprise, really, because he knows better than anyone how this award works and, above all, how the winner is chosen. This year, the journalists who voted have decided that I should win it. Probably, these same journalists were the ones who at some point voted for him to win it, and I imagine that then he would have agreed."
In response to Rodri's Ballon d'Or win, Vinicius and Real Madrid notably opted to boycott the ceremony in protest.