Wonder wingers: Raphinha, Yamal, Dembele in the 2025 Ballon d’Or race
Barcelona’s Raphinha and Yamal against PSG’s Dembele for 2025 Ballon d’Or award. Photo Credit- FC Barcelona fans
In the glittering hall of modern football, where flair meets firepower, three wing wizards have lit up the 2024/25 season like no others: Barcelona’s Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, the Catalan club’s relentless right-flank revolutionaries, and Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele, the once-wayward Frenchman who finally fulfilled his promise. As the Ballon d’Or ceremony looms in Paris on September 22, 2025 with Ronaldinho himself set to hand over the golden ball, these players dominate the conversation. It’s a tale of redemption, prodigy, and resurgence, all wrapped in electric dribbles and pinpoint crosses. But who among them will claim football’s ultimate individual prize? Let’s break down their campaigns, side by side, to find out.
Raphinha
Raphinha, the 28-year-old Brazilian trailblazer, has been Barcelona’s engine room, a relentless creator who transformed Hansi Flick’s side into La Liga’s undisputed kings. Over 69 appearances across all competitions, he racked up 38 goals and 26 assists, a staggering 64 goal involvements that powered Barca to a domestic treble (La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup). His 43 big chances created and 167 key passes speak to a maturity beyond his years, turning Camp Nou into a fortress of flair. In the Champions League, where Barcelona fell just short in the semis, Raphinha’s 88 shots on target were a testament to his hunger, earning him a spot in UEFA’s Team of the Season.
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Lamine Yamal
The 18-year-old Spanish sensation whose meteoric rise feels like a Messi reboot in Blaugrana threads. In just 65 games, reflecting his youth and Flick’s careful management, Yamal delivered 19 goals and 24 assists, totaling 43 involvements that lit up Barcelona’s treble charge. His 50 big chances created and 115 key passes shows a visionary quality rare for one so young; at 89 shots on target, he’s already the architect of Barca’s future. Yamal’s crowning jewel? Highlights like his brace in a Nations League semi-final thriller against France, outfoxing even Dembele’s compatriots, have pundits drooling over his “freak of nature” status. His jaw-dropping solos and assists evoking the ghosts of Cruyff and Maradona. But with Barcelona’s Champions League exit, does his brilliance shine brighter in narrative than in silverware?
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Ousmane Dembele
Then there’s Ousmane Dembele, the 28-year-old PSG prodigal whose 2024/25 renaissance has rewritten his story from Barcelona disgrace to Parisian prince. In 59 outings, he notched 33 goals and 13 assists, 46 involvements that spearheaded PSG’s historic quadruple (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophée des Champions, and a long-elusive Champions League crown). His 25 big chances created and 133 key passes highlight a style Ronaldinho himself praised, while 91 shots on target reflect his clinical edge. Voted UEFA Champions League Player of the Season, Dembele’s solo stunner in the semi-final against Arsenal and his pivotal role in the Munich final silenced critics forever. With four trophies, outpacing his rivals and a per-90 goal involvement rate that outstrips even Raphinha’s (thanks to PSG’s rotation), he’s the stats sheet’s darling.
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Comparing these titans is like putting a Ferrari against a Lamborghini and a hypercar prototype, each excels in velocity and vision, but context crowns the king. Raphinha’s raw output (38G/26A) edges Yamal’s creative spark (19G/24A), making him Barca’s volume king, but both pale next to Dembele’s trophy-laden haul (33G/13A) and UCL glory. Yamal’s youth adds romance, he’d shatter records as the youngest winner ever, but the Ballon d’Or favours those who drag teams over the line, as Dembele did for PSG post-Mbappe. Power rankings from GOAL and The Athletic place Dembele first for his “consistent excellence,” Yamal second for “jaw-dropping” moments, and Raphinha third as the “overlooked numbers guy.”
Predicting the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner
In the end, as the Theatre du Châtelet lights up tomorrow, my prediction leans toward Ousmane Dembele as the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner. His blend of redemption arc, quadruple silverware, and UCL Player of the Season award tips the scales in a season where collective triumph trumped individual fairy tales. Yamal’s the heir apparent, Raphinha the unsung hero, but Dembele? He’s the conqueror football has waited for. Whichever way the votes fall, these three have redefined the winger’s art, ensuring the right flank will never be the same.
