Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele: Ballon d’Or rivals meet in Spain v France
Dembele delivering the season he has had would have been unthinkable even seven months ago, and winning the Ballon d’Or would complete one of football’s greatest revivals.
This season has already resulted in the 28-year-old being named the Champions League’s player of the season and the Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner.
His career looked destined to be one of of unfulfilled potential, and he has admitted himself for years he lacked professionalism. He once cost Barcelona a fee of £96.8m, potentially rising to £135.5m.
But before this season he had only managed double figures for goals in a league campaign once, his first in senior football for Rennes (12 goals in 2015-16).
Maybe he was best known in England for missing the chance to put Barca 4-0 up in their 2019 Champions League semi-final, with the Reds going on to win 4-3 on aggregate.
Even approaching the halfway point of the season, he was only having a fairly average one by his standards – with five goals before playing Lyon on 15 December.
But everything changed that day as Luis Enrique moved him from his more accustomed right-wing berth to play him at centre forward – and he netted in a 3-1 win.
That was part of a run of 18 goals in 10 games. After that he chipped in goals at a regular rate.
Even with a return of one goal in his final 10 games of the season, he ended on 33 – with 21 in the league making him Ligue 1’s top scorer.
Dembele has also performed for his country, netting in Nations League wins over Belgium and Croatia – doubling his tally of competitive goals in a France shirt.
He also managed 13 assists for PSG, including two in the record-breaking 5-0 Champions League final win over Inter Milan.
“I would give the Ballon d’Or to Mr Ousmane Dembele,” PSG boss Luis Enrique said in Munich.
“The way he defended, just that alone could be worth the Ballon d’Or. That’s how you lead a team: goals, trophies, leadership, defence, his pressing.”
Unlike Yamal, Dembele still has the Fifa Club World Cup to play in this summer to cement his claims.