On September 22, Paris will host the 68th edition of the prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony. With the announcement approaching, nearly everyone in the soccer world has weighed in with predictions on who should take home the honor.
Thierry Henry was the latest to share his opinion on the upcoming Ballon d’Or, making his stance clear during CBS Sports’ Champions League coverage this week. The Arsenal and France legend discussed the award alongside fellow analysts Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.
Carragher said he had “six candidates” in mind for the prize: Raphinha, Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, Lamine Yamal, and Achraf Hakimi. But for Henry, there was only one real option — Ousmane Dembele.
“I don’t even need to talk,” Henry said, making it clear that he sees a significant gap between the PSG winger and the rest of the field. “You just have to look at the picture. We can talk about many players, but for me, he will win it”.
Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain celebrates at the Champions League final. (Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Dembele missed PSG’s Champions League opener against Atalanta after suffering an injury on international duty with France earlier this month. Even so, his standout season has made him the leading candidate to succeed Rodri as the world’s best player.
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Dembele’s 2024-25 season by the numbers
The 2024-25 campaign was Ousmane Dembele’s best as a professional. The PSG winger scored 21 goals in Ligue 1, added eight more in the Champions League, and chipped in six across the Club World Cup, Coupe de France, and Trophee des Champions.
In total, he finished the season with 35 goals in 53 matches across all competitions. Adding his 16 assists, Dembele was directly involved in 51 goals — nearly one per game — a level of production that placed him firmly among the world’s elite.
Team success only strengthened his case. Dembele helped PSG complete a historic treble, winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and — for the first time in the club’s history — the Champions League. He also played a key role in reaching the Club World Cup final, cementing his status as one of Luis Enrique’s most influential players.
