In the swirl of Ballon d’Or Discussions, the race for football’s most storied individual prize is being reframed by the people who know it best. From Barcelona’s dressing room to Portugal’s national team camp, and with a reminder from a former winner, this week delivered a candid snapshot of how players view the criteria, the pressure and the narratives that build toward the award.
Jules Kounde shifts stance on Yamal and Dembele
Barcelona defender Jules Kounde adjusted his public pick for the prize, moving from a straightforward endorsement of Lamine Yamal to a more diplomatic balance between two contenders. Speaking while on duty with France, he acknowledged that both Yamal and Ousmane Dembele have compelling cases.
His tone was careful yet revealing, a teammate’s respect interwoven with a competitor’s eye for form. Kounde highlighted trophies and performance levels, and he praised Yamal’s influence while noting that Dembele is operating at an impressive level with his numbers.
“I’ve already answered, I’ll do it again. Both deserve it. They had an extraordinary season, with trophies to boot. Being teammates with both, it’s difficult.
I’m not the one voting, and there are arguments for both. I’m very happy to be with Lamine, to see how he’s carrying us. Ousmane has reached a kind of fullness, he’s playing his best football with the statistics. May the best man win.”
Kounde’s comments offer a window into Barcelona’s dynamic, where a young star’s rise is felt day to day. The defender also nodded to the grind of LaLiga by referencing how Yamal shouldered responsibility, and the article noted that Yamal recently disagreed with Hansi Flick’s view on a Rayo Vallecano display, an illustration of his willingness to speak plainly about performance.
Vitinha questions the metrics that drive modern awards
From the Portugal camp came a thoughtful reflection on the nature of individual accolades. PSG midfielder Vitinha addressed the role of statistics in the award conversation, acknowledging his own goals and assists while challenging the idea that numbers alone capture a player’s worth.
He spoke ahead of Portugal’s trip to Armenia, and he did so with the credibility of a season decorated by major silverware. The midfielder was key as PSG won Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League, and he also celebrated the UEFA Nations League with Portugal, yet he still argued for a broader lens.
“I’m not complaining about the numbers I’ve been putting up, goals, assists. I’ve had the opportunity to say this before, but football often gets reduced to just that, and I don’t like it.
It doesn’t truly reflect the game when you compare players based solely on assists. I still want to improve, to add more, but without compromising the team.”
Vitinha added that he aims to grow his output naturally rather than forcing plays that do not suit the collective. He framed the current fixation with raw attacking returns as a snapshot of modern football, and he suggested that balance, context and team needs should remain central to any evaluation.
“I won’t force it if I see it’s not what’s best for the team, it just happens naturally. It’s a bit of a reflection of modern football, it is what it is. I hope to do more, but I think my numbers have been reasonable.”
His press conference also touched on durability, with a lighthearted note about luck and genetics. Preparation matters, he said, but avoiding injuries is never entirely in a player’s control, a reality that shapes form and failure in any award race.
“Let’s not talk too much about that [laughs]. I don’t know, sometimes it comes down to luck, genetics. Preparation also counts. It ends up being a matter of luck, with so much professionalism. Fortunately, I haven’t had any issues, and I hope to keep it that way.”
The public conversation around the race also featured a fan-facing snapshot. In a recent poll, Lamine Yamal topped MARCA’s Top 100 Footballers for the 2024 and 2025 season, finishing ahead of Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha and Kylian Mbappe, a marker of sentiment that often colors pre-award debates.
Michael Owen rejects comparisons with Yamal and Mbappe
Into this modern debate stepped a voice from another era, and a Ballon d’Or winner at that. Michael Owen, discussing teenage stars with Rio Ferdinand, pushed back on comparisons between his 18-year-old self and the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and others, arguing that such parallels rarely capture the truth of different contexts.
Owen was emphatic about his unique trajectory, and he narrowed any reasonable comparison to one name in his country. He also referenced his own honor in the award’s history.
“Where does that come from? Who watches those players as teenagers and compares them to me? I don’t see anybody who could be compared to me at that same stage.
The only person you can possibly compare me to in our country is Wayne Rooney.”
As the article recounted, Owen won the Ballon d’Or in 2021. His career arc, from Liverpool superstardom to a move to Real Madrid, then a return to England that was complicated by injuries, is a reminder that potential and legacy are not always linear.
What these viewpoints reveal about the award race
The week’s voices map neatly onto the fault lines that define Ballon d’Or debates. Kounde spoke as a teammate caught between respect for a youngster’s impact and recognition of a rival’s peak form, the language of trophies and statistics threaded through his answer.
Vitinha, standing at the heart of PSG’s triumphs, reframed the discussion, suggesting that the obsession with goals and assists can flatten what midfielders do. His view invites voters and fans to consider control, tempo and decision making, the less quantifiable layers that separate good from great.
Owen’s stance added a different caution, a reminder that comparing teenagers across eras can miss the nuance of roles and environments. His message doubled as empathy for the pressure placed on prodigies, and as a nudge for observers to judge each path on its own terms.
The public pulse and media narratives
Polls like MARCA’s Top 100 do not decide the Ballon d’Or, yet they capture the current that swirls around it. That Yamal topped the list ahead of Dembele, Vitinha and Mbappe underscores how the conversation often blends performance, potential and the sheer magnetism of a young talent’s rise.
Media narratives lean into that momentum, but the players themselves introduced more texture this week. Kounde’s fairness, Vitinha’s skepticism about pure metrics, and Owen’s resistance to reductive comparisons, together they create a richer frame for judging excellence.
The tightrope for young stars
Yamal’s season, as filtered through his teammates and polls, reflects the tightrope prodigies walk. Kounde’s line about how the teenager is carrying Barcelona captures both burden and brilliance, a balance that can sway opinions in award conversations.
Vitinha’s insistence on not forcing numbers is a lesson that applies broadly, and it reads as advice for any rising star. The midfielder’s view positions team-first play as compatible with recognition, a counter to the simplistic tally-chasing that can overshadow subtle influence.
Owen’s comments land as both pride and a protective warning. The rush to draw parallels, he suggests, can warp expectations, while each player’s narrative deserves space to unfold without constant comparison to past idols.
The road ahead
The Ballon d’Or will always live at the intersection of numbers, moments and trophies. This week’s testimonies show how insiders weigh those elements, from a defender watching the daily grind, to a midfielder anchoring winners, to a former recipient reflecting on what greatness looked like in another time.
Nothing decisive was declared, yet the tone of the conversation matters. It clarified that the race is not simply a spreadsheet competition, and it is not a contest of legacy echoes either, it is a composite of form, impact and the respect of peers who share the pitch with the candidates.
Three takeaways that will shape the conversation
- Kounde’s measured endorsement of both Yamal and Dembele points to a photo finish built on trophies and form,
- Vitinha’s call for context over raw numbers pushes the debate toward a fuller reading of influence,
- Owen’s rejection of cross-era comparisons protects young stars from unfair yardsticks.
Why this week matters for perception
Perception is a currency in any award chase, and this week it tilted in nuanced ways. Kounde’s respect handed both leading candidates credibility, Vitinha’s voice gave midfield craft a platform, and Owen reminded everyone that the rush to crown the next version of a legend can obscure the present.
Amid the noise, one truth from these Ballon d’Or conversations endures. The players closest to the fire see beyond the headline numbers, and when they speak, they encourage the rest of us to look a little deeper too.
