Thierry Henry names his clear Ballon d’Or winner without hesitation

Among the frontrunners are Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, and Mohamed Salah.

Dembele played a key role in Paris Saint-Germain’s success last season, helping them secure four major titles, including the Champions League. Yamal impressed for Barcelona and was instrumental in Spain’s triumph at Euro 2024.

Mbappe and Salah also delivered standout performances for Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Following the midweek Champions League fixtures, which saw wins for Barcelona and Manchester City, Jamie Carragher and Henry shared their thoughts on the Ballon d’Or during CBS Sports coverage.

Kate Scott, who will present the award, raised the topic and asked both pundits to name their picks.

Carragher listed Dembele, Mbappe, Salah, Yamal, Raphinha, and Achraf Hakimi as his choices, referring to them as ‘the top six players’.

He ultimately chose Dembele as his favorite, citing his achievements with PSG. Henry, meanwhile, focused on one name, making his stance clear.

He selected Dembele, saying ‘I don’t even have to talk’.

Dembele had an outstanding season, finding the net 35 times across all competitions.

PSG’s sporting director Luis Campos dismissed claims that Yamal should win the award, instead backing Dembele.

“We’re looking at Lamine Yamal as a huge player for the future. But we’re talking about a very specific season. The record has been decisive in all the previous years, and what has Lamine Yamal won? The Spanish league,” Campos said.

He continued: “PSG has nine nominees for the Ballon d’Or. We’re very happy and very proud. Other players also deserve to be there, like [Bradley] Barcola and [William] Pacho. Ousmane Dembele scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists. He was voted best player in the Champions League, best player in his league. He finished as the top scorer in his league. He won everything.

“Whether his name is Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, there’s no discussion.”