Claude Makelele was a pretty handy player in his day. The Frenchman shone most notably for Real Madrid and Chelsea, winning La Liga twice, the Premier League twice, and a Champions League – not to mention other major honours in his native France.
He was so good, in fact, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard once even claimed he was his toughest opponent, ahead of Premier League icons Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane. That said, he couldn't quite reach the level required to get his hands on the Ballon d'Or – with very few defensive-minded players ever winning the prize.
Even so, Makelele – one of the finest midfield anchormen to play the sport – has offered his thoughts on who should lift the award in 2025.
Makelele Explains Why Yamal Should Not Win Ballon d'Or
"He needs to show more..."
Perhaps controversially, he's argued that Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal – a frontrunner for the prize – is not deserving of a Ballon d'Or at this stage of his career. When asked by AS to choose which player he would give the award to this year, he said:
"To [Ousmane] Dembele. Lamine still needs to prove himself over a longer period of time. Ousmane started earlier. If we give it to the young one, Lamine... (laughs). He needs to show more. Let him be, he's a kid, he's a talent. Don't beat him up."
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Dembele Would Be a Deserving Ballon d'Or Winner
Yamal has plenty of time to win in the future
As a former Real Madrid star, perhaps it's no surprise that Makelele doesn't want the award to end up at the Camp Nou. After all, Marcelo picked Cristiano Ronaldo as his winner recently. That said, he has picked a player with a strong Barcelona connection in Dembele, although perhaps the blow is softened as both players are French.
Of course, it doesn't require much bias to feel the Paris Saint-Germain star is deserving of the award. Dembele had a brilliant season after all, firing his team to Champions League glory for the first time, while also lifting a Ligue 1 title, having netted 33 goals and claimed a further 15 assists in total so far – with the Club World Cup still up for grabs.
There are those who will feel as though Yamal is more deserving, though. Still only 17, the Spaniard has continued to shock the footballing world with eye-catching displays that are rarely seen in a player of his age. He finished the 2024/25 season, firing Barca to a La Liga title, having scored 18 goals and picked up 25 assists in all competitions.
Still a teenager, Yamal certainly doesn't need to panic if the award doesn't go his way. And perhaps it will be best for his personal development and motivation if he isn't crowned the world's best player just yet. That seems to be what Makalele is hinting at.
Dembele, on the other hand, is now 28 and has had to come on a long journey to get where he is now. Before this season, he was best known for his inconsistencies, having largely disappointed at Barcelona. Having finally fulfilled his potential, this would be the perfect moment to cap off his development with a Ballon d'Or.
Stats via Transfermarkt - correct as of 08/07/25