Samir Nasri shows strong support for Ousmane Dembele in Ballon d’Or race

Samir Nasri has thrown his full support behind Ousmane Dembele to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or, saying the PSG forward’s rise and impact make him a worthy candidate.

The former French international and now consultant praised Dembele’s turnaround and insisted the award should stay in French hands.

Speaking to Canal+ on August 28, 2025, Nasri said: “Because of his extraordinary season, his decisiveness throughout it, and because he’s French, I’m not going to put someone else in the place of a Frenchman when a Frenchman can win it.”

He highlighted Dembélé’s importance in PSG’s run: “I think we talk a lot about the PSG team, but it still took a player like Ousmane Dembélé to score so many goals, and in key moments.”

For Nasri, Dembélé’s transformation was the key: “I think his radical change, especially since it happened in December, is where everything changes, where he’s starting to find his effectiveness, and I think he fully deserves it.”

Nasri also praised teammates Hakimi and Vitinha, placing them in third, while tipping young Lamine Yamal as runner-up.