Sergio Busquets tips former Barcelona team-mate Ousmane Dembele for Ballon d'Or after 'much more consistent' season at PSG

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Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets has tipped his former team-mate Ousmane Dembele for the Ballon d'Or award after the French winger sealed an historic treble with Paris Saint-Germain. Dembele is among the favourites for next month's Ballon d'Or after scoring 35 goals and providing 16 assists in 58 matches across all competitions, as PSG broke their UEFA Champions League duck in style in Munich.

Deschamps would '100 per cent' choose Dembele over Yamal for Ballon d'Or

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Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets has tipped former team-mate Ousmane Dembele to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

Busquets was a mainstay at Camp Nou for 15 years between 2008 and 2023, winning nine La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions Leagues and seven Copa del Rey trophies in 722 matches for Barcelona.

He made the move to Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, alongside fellow ex-Blaugrana stars Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez.

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Before that, Busquets took to the field with France star Dembele, who also left Catalonia in 2023, joining Paris Saint-Germain, with the pair winning three La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey trophies together.

Busquets, in the twilight of his career at 37, has gone on to win both the Supporters’ Shield and Leagues Cup at Inter Miami.

But Dembele, in the peak of his career at 28, enjoyed a stellar season in the French capital, as PSG demolished Internazionale in the Champions League final on the way to an historic treble.

Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Busquets played together at Barcelona for six years.

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After such an impressive season, the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner is backing his former team-mate to lift the ultimate individual accolade - the Ballon d’Or.

"Regarding Ous [Ousmane Dembele], I am very happy that it has gone well for him (at PSG)," he said, speaking at a press conference ahead of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup semi-final with Orlando City.

"I would have liked it had Barca won the Champions League but, as that did not happen, I was happy for the coaches and former team-mates from Barca who are now at PSG and it was good to see them again at the Club World Cup.

"He has had a great season. He was a bit injured, but [he was] much better than in previous years and he was much more consistent.

"We know what kind of player he is, the difference he makes and what he can do.

"Hopefully, he will win [the Ballon d’Or]. It is clear that there are also Barca players who deserve it, but I do not know who the voters will decide on.

"I do not know what prevails, whether it is winning such an important trophy in the Champions League. I do not know what [makes the difference]."

Ousmane Dembele celebrates after winning the UEFA Champions League in Munich

Image credit: Getty Images

Dembele is among the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or after a season in which he thrived individually as well as lifting three trophies.

His 35 goals and 16 assists in 58 matches across Ligue 1, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the FIFA Club World Cup have put him in fourth in the TNT Sports Power rankings.

The winner will be crowned at the illustrious Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on September 22.

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