Cristiano Ronaldo has weighed in on the 2025 Ballon d'Or award as the race shapes up into a heated social media debate.

Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal have emerged as the frontrunners to win the Golden Ball after record-breaking seasons with their respective clubs.

Dembele led Paris Saint-Germain to their first-ever treble, which culminated in winning the UEFA Champions League on May 31. PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the final held in Munich.

The Parisians had also won the Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, with Dembele scoring 33 goals and providing 15 assists.

Yamal, meanwhile, has been on a rise since making his debut, leaving many fans shocked with what he can do at 17 years old. The Barcelona star has chipped in with 18 goals and 25 assists, winning the Spanish Super Cup, La Liga and the Copa del Rey, as captured on Transfermarkt.

He was, however, denied a first Champions League appearance after they were eliminated by Inter Milan in the semi-finals.

Ronaldo, who has won the honour five times, indirectly backed Dembele to win the award. The Portuguese icon stated that whoever wins the individual prize must be someone who has won the Champions League, something Yamal didn't.

"The individual awards have lost some consensus; I can’t say anything about who should win. In my opinion, those who stand out and win the Champions League should win," he said as quoted by TNT Sports.

Ronaldo, however, added that the award has lost its relevance in recent years due to the 'behind the scenes' issues.

"But there is no consensus. I don’t believe much in individual awards because I know what goes on behind the scenes. Lamine could win, like Dembele or Vitinha, other emerging players. But individual awards are irrelevant."

Ronaldo's comments drew the ire of former Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery, who dropped a sarcastic comment on his Instagram stories.

"So you NEED to win the Champions League to win the Ballon d'Or?"

Ribery was surprisingly snubbed in the 2013 Ballon d'Or race, despite winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich, as Ronaldo beat him to the award. He finished third behind the Portuguese star and Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo made these comments on the eve of facing Yamal for the first time in the UEFA Nations League final.

The former Manchester United striker scored the winner in the semi-final against Germany, while Yamal produced a man-of-the-match performance in their 5-4 win over Dembele's France, setting up the stage for a cracking final.

Ronaldo has already won the Nations League, leading Portugal to the win in 2019, while Spain are the defending champion. Yamal was, however, not part of the 2023-winning squad, which means he is chasing his first title.

In a related report, published an updated list of the Ballon d'Or rankings after the Champions League final.

Dembele didn't score in the 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan but contributed with two assists, making his claim to become the first Frenchman to win the award since Karim Benzema.

It looks like a sealed deal, but he will get competition from Barcelona stars Yamal and Raphinha.

Source: TUKO.co.ke