PSG chief Luis Campos backs Ousmane Dembele for Ballon d’Or over Lamine Yamal

Paris Saint-Germain football advisor Luis Campos says there should be no debate over Ousmane Dembele’s right to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or, declaring the winger’s achievements last season make him the clear favourite.

Speaking to RMC, Campos argued that Dembele’s form and trophy haul stand out even in a year dominated by young stars such as Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.

Dembele, who is of Mauritanian descent, has been instrumental for both PSG and France since his move from Barcelona.

Yamal, the 18-year-old sensation at Barcelona, was born in Spain to a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother and has also been tipped as a future Ballon d’Or winner. Both players are regarded as frontrunners for this year’s award.

Campos, however, was unequivocal about who deserves the trophy this season. “If Ousmane does not win the Ballon d’Or it is because the people who voted do not have the competence to vote for the Ballon d’Or,” he said.

“The one who clearly deserves the Ballon d’Or is Dembélé, there is no discussion. I’m talking about last season, not a prediction of Lamine Yamal in a few years. He was chosen as the best player in the Champions League and the best in the league. He has won everything. If his name was Messi or Cristiano, there would be no discussion.”

The comments highlight PSG’s growing confidence in their marquee winger as he seeks to crown a career-best campaign with football’s most prestigious individual prize.

Yamal, meanwhile, continues to draw global attention for his performances at such a young age, but Campos stressed his remarks were about the present, not the future.