PSG star Dembele tipped to beat Yamal to win Ballon d'Or

Ousmane Dembele from Paris Saint-Germain is expected to surpass Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal and secure the men's Ballon d'Or on Monday, whereas Aitana Bonmati's prospects of securing a third consecutive women's honour remain uncertain.

The finest talents in international football are due to assemble at the Theatre du Chatelet in the centre of Paris to learn the identities of the most recent recipients of a prize long overshadowed by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Between 2008 and 2023, those pair claimed the Ballon d'Or on 13 occasions combined, until last year signalled the close of that period when Manchester City midfielder Rodri received it following his leadership of Spain to victory in Euro 2024.

Since Rodri faces no realistic chance of defending the sport's premier individual accolade due to an injury affected campaign last term, Dembele has risen as the frontrunner from a candidate roster heavily featuring Paris Saint-Germain players.

Nine individuals from the Paris Saint-Germain squad that clinched the Champions League by thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the decisive match appear on the 30 person shortlist.

Among them are Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha, alongside custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma, who now plays for Manchester City.

However, Dembele distinguishes himself following an outstanding year where he stepped into the gap created by Kylian Mbappe's exit from Paris, netting 35 goals.

Such performance aided Paris Saint-Germain in achieving a full set of domestic titles and advancing to the Club World Cup final.

It proved a remarkable effort for the French outfit and an even more astonishing one for Dembele, the 28 year old winger converted to centre forward, whose prior peak output was 14 goals for Barcelona during the 2018/19 season.

"It feels rewarding following such an excellent year with Paris Saint-Germain," Dembele shared with Le Monde when questioned on the significance of being a top candidate for the award.

"I believe it is accurate that I rank among the leading hopefuls, yet we shall observe the outcome," he added regarding a trophy he has called "the individual Holy Grail".

Among the remaining candidates, 18 year old Yamal shines brightly after developing into a wing sensation at Barcelona, positioned as Messi's heir apparent.

He collected the Kopa Trophy for the finest under 21 performer at the previous Ballon d'Or event, shortly after contributing to Spain's European Championship success.

Last season, he netted 18 goals across 55 appearances in various competitions as Barcelona captured La Liga and the Copa del Rey, although they fell in the Champions League semi finals against Inter.

"I do not aspire to claim a single Ballon d'Or, I aim to collect many," Yamal remarked in a fresh discussion with Spanish broadcaster Jose Ramon de la Morena.

Bonmati aiming to keep women's title?

Currently, the Ballon d'Or selection relies on performances from the preceding season, shifting from the earlier calendar year format.

Further prominent candidates encompass Viktor Gyokeres, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, plus the pivotal pair from Liverpool's 2024-2025 Premier League conquest, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

Mbappe and Vinicius Junior also feature, one year on from Real Madrid's protest absence at the event, incensed by the prior snub of the latter for the honour.

A jury of journalists, representing each of the top 100 FIFA ranked nations, determines the Ballon d'Or.

For the women's category, it involves the top 50 nations, where the competition seems broad open as Barcelona and Spain midfielder Bonmati pursues a third successive win.

At 27, Bonmati possesses exceptional skill and earned tournament best player recognition at the UEFA Women's Euro held in July.

Nevertheless, Spain dropped the final of that event on spot kicks to England, and Bonmati's Barcelona side similarly conceded the Champions League final to Arsenal back in May.

Potentially benefiting her or fellow Barcelona and double past victor Alexia Putellas is the absence of a clear dominant figure from England's Euros winning squad.

From that England lineup, nominees include Lucy Bronze, shot stopper Hannah Hampton, Alessia Russo and skipper Leah Williamson, along with Chloe Kelly, who converted the winning penalty in the final.