Dembele, who tallied 35 goals and 16 assists across 53 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain last season, is widely regarded as a leading candidate for the honor. ..Continue Reading
Under Luis Enrique, PSG secured a domestic treble before falling to Chelsea—led by Cole Palmer—in the FIFA Club World Cup final.
Dembele’s main competition for the accolade is believed to be Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old prodigy from Spain.
Yamal wrapped up the season with 18 goals and 25 assists, helping Barcelona clinch both the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey.
However, Barcelona’s European campaign ended in disappointment, as Hansi Flick’s squad were eliminated by Inter Milan in a dramatic Champions League semi-final.
Even though both players had standout seasons, Mourinho doesn’t think either merits the Ballon d’Or.
Speaking to Canal 11, the former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss insisted the award should go to someone who lifted the Champions League trophy—effectively excluding Yamal from the race.
Mourinho said: “Football, as much as we all want to make players special people, coaches special people, for me, it remains about the team.
“And for me, any individual trophy must always have a direct connection to titles.”
But instead of backing Dembele for the award, he believes Nuno Mendes or Vitinha deserve to win it.
He said: “I love them both; I can’t tell the difference.
“The only thing I’d say is that there’s still a small group of good midfielders there, and now full-backs like that
“I’d like one of them to win, obviously, but then Jorge Mendes will get mad at me because he only thinks Yamal, his player, should win.”
Mourinho, who previously coached Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham, is now in charge of Turkish giants Fenerbahçe.
In the previous campaign, his team secured a second-place finish in the Turkish Super Lig, trailing Galatasaray by a margin of eleven points.
Despite that, the 62-year-old remained in the spotlight, notably receiving a red card during a Europa League clash that ended in a 1-1 stalemate with United.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony is set to take place in Paris on September 22 this year.
That’s a month earlier than last year’s event, where Manchester City’s Rodri edged out Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr to win the award.
While Dembele and Yamal are currently leading the race for the accolade, PSG’s Portuguese duo could still emerge as surprise contenders.
