"He had a solid season" - Pundit names PSG star who he thinks deserves 2025 Ballon d'Or more than Ousmane Dembele

Former France defender Raymond Domenech has backed Achraf Hakimi for the 2025 Ballon d'Or over Ousmane Dembele. He said that the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) right-back was more consistent for the club throughout the season.

The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on September 22 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. There are many contenders for the award this year, with majorly players from PSG and Barcelona. Ousmane Dembele is one of the leading contenders for the award.

However, Domenech believes Achraf Hakimi should win it over the Frenchman, as he told La Gazzetta dello Sport:

“Let’s spice things up a bit: Hakimi. Dembélé certainly deserves it, but he only woke up in January, with the match against City.”

“Hakimi, on the other hand, had a solid season. And as a defender, he scored important goals in the Champions League quarter-final, semi-final, and final. That’s what Dembélé didn’t do."

Both Hakimi and Dembele were key players for PSG as they won five trophies this year. They won the Ligue 1, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and both domestic cups.

Dembele registered 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 games across competitions last season.

Achraf Hakimi backs himself to win 2025 Ballon d'Or

The Moroccan right-back believes he can win the Ballon d'Or this year. He highlighted his contribution to PSG's success and told Canal Plus:

"There aren't many players that have scored in the quarter-final, semi-final, and final as a defender, where it is more difficult. People think that I'm a forward or a midfielder, but I play in a back four, and I have to think about defending. That is more difficult. The stats that I had this year aren't those of a normal defender. I think that, when a defender does that, he deserves more than a forward."

Hakimi scored 11 goals and provided 16 assists in 55 games across competitions for PSG last season. Four of those goals and five of those assists came in 17 Champions League appearances, including a goal each in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.

Hakimi has been named in the 30-man shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d'Or nominations. His PSG teammates, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vitinha, and Fabian Ruiz have also been nominated.

Barcelona have the next highest number of nominations with four. Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Rodri have been nominated for the Spanish giants.

About the author

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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Edited by Aditya Singh