'He's transformed them' - Gareth Bale reveals his favourite to win 2025 Ballon d'Or
Published 19/07/2025 at 20:30 GMT+1
Former Real Madrid and Tottenham star Gareth Bale has revealed who he believes is the favourite to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or. The Wales legend insists that a string of sensational performances and an enviable trophy haul have put French forward Ousmane Dembele in pole position to win the most coveted individual honour the game has to offer. The nominees will be announced on August 7.
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Gareth Bale believes that Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele is the clear favourite to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or.
The former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur star is backing the Frenchman to win the most coveted individual honour in world football after he guided PSG to their first UEFA Champions League crown last season.
Dembele scored 35 goals and registered 16 assists across all competitions as the French giants completed a historic treble of Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Champions League - as well as beating Monaco in the Trophee des Champions.
Bale says that a combination of Dembele’s performances and his trophy haul over the last 12 months have made him the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or.
"Yeah, I think so [that Dembele is the favourite to win the individual honour]," he told ESPN.
"I think you also have to look what the teams have won.
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"I think everyone obviously talks about individuals, but I think if you are winning those trophies as well, you're winning the Champions League, obviously they've won their domestic treble.
"It's hard to see anyone else from the season he's had, and he's transformed them into trophies as well as the season he's had.
"It does make him the front-runner by some way in my opinion."
Dembele’s sensational 2024/2025 campaign saw him finally fulfil the potential he promised when he burst onto the scene as a teenager with Rennes and Borussia Dortmund.
Some felt the forward’s chances of winning a Ballon d'Or had passed after an injury-hit six years with Barcelona.
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He joined PSG in 2023, linking up with big names like his compatriot Kylian Mbappe.
However, he ended up being a key part in Luis Enrique’s transformation of the Ligue 1 side.
The Spaniard opted for a high-pressing style instead of star names, with Mbappe moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.
The risk paid off for the club and Dembele.
The 28-year-old finished the season as the joint-leading scorer in the French top flight and is now one of the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or.
The nominees for the award will be announced on August 7, with the winner set to be revealed on September 22.
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