PSG's Dembélé is the front-runner to win the Ballon d'Or -- but who actually deserves it?

Don Hutchison expresses skepticism that Chelsea's Club World Cup victory will translate into Premier League success. Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembélé is presented as the overwhelming favorite to win the Ballon d'Or. His case is built on strong individual statistics (21 goals, 6 assists in Ligue 1; 8 goals, 6 assists in the Champions League) and team success, with PSG winning Ligue 1 by 19 points and the Champions League. A key narrative is PSG's transformation into the world's best team aligning directly with Dembélé's move to center forward and exceptional performances in 2025.

While Chelsea's 3-0 win over PSG in the Club World Cup final is noted, it's suggested this result is unlikely to sway voters significantly away from Dembélé towards someone like Cole Palmer, despite Palmer's quality exceeding past Ballon d'Or finalists Jorginho and Dani Carvajal. Dembélé remains the major favorite.

The article then shifts to the question of who *should* win based on the best performance over the official Ballon d'Or judgment period (August 2024 to July 2025). It highlights PSG's dramatic turnaround in the Champions League after a poor start (only 1 win in their first 5 games). From December 1st onwards, PSG won 10 of 12 European games, scoring 35 goals. This run included a pivotal round of 16 tie against Liverpool.

The second leg at Anfield, a tense 1-0 win for PSG decided by a penalty shootout, is identified as the crucial turning point for Dembélé's Ballon d'Or narrative. The article argues that had Jarell Quansah's header gone in for Liverpool, or had the shootout gone differently, PSG would have been eliminated, there would be no Dembélé redemption story, and no PSG player would be considered a serious contender. It emphasizes that Dembélé's Ballon d'Or buzz only began after this match.

Finally, the article proposes the European Sports Media (ESM) Team of the Month, voted on by journalists across Europe since 1995, as a more reliable indicator of consistent season-long performance than the often trophy-skewed Ballon d'Or vote. It cites Lionel Messi's 88 appearances on the ESM team and Cristiano Ronaldo's 51 as examples of its historical record.