Gary Lineker's bold suggestion that Gianluigi Donnarumma could win the Ballon d'Or doesn't look as unlikely as he envisioned following Paris Saint-Germain's UEFA Champions League win.
The Parisians cruised to European glory for the first time in the club's history with a 5-0 mauling of Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena on Saturday night.
Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring before French youngster Desire Doue bagged a brace, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia netted a deserved goal, and 18-year-old Senny Mayulu stepped off the bench to score the fifth.
Donnarumma barely had anything to do on the night, but his role in helping PSG to the final is one of the reasons their name is on the trophy. The 26-year-old has been magnificent throughout the campaign, pulling off several spectacular stops, including one to deny Arsenal's Martin Odegaard.
Lineker Had Tipped Donnarumma For Ballon d'Or
The PSG star would become the second goalkeeper to win award
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PSG's journey to the final wasn't an easy ride, as they finished 15th in the Champions League group standings. Luis Enrique completely transformed the Parisians in the knockout stages, overseeing wins over Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal before tonight's final victory.
Donnarumma kept his fifth clean sheet of the campaign, and it was his easiest night between the sticks. But Lineker had pointed out how influential the former AC Milan shot-stopper had been when previewing the final on The Rest is Football podcast:
"One of the key figures in PSG getting this far has been their goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – an Italian playing against an Italian team. What a number of performances we've seen from him in this competition, so even if Inter get through this PSG [defence] they've still got one big boy to get past!
The 72-cap Italy international won the Yashin Trophy in 2021, which recognises the best goalkeeper of the year on the night the Ballon d'Or is handed out. Lineker thinks he's in with a shout of claiming the most prestigious award:
"If Donnarumma has another amazing game in the final and is maybe the key figure, is it possible that we get a goalkeeper as the winner of the Ballon d'Or?"
Lineker downplayed his shout by jokingly calling it "terrible" because goalkeepers always get in the goalscorers' way. That has been the case for PSG's number one throughout the season.
While Donnarumma wasn't required to have an amazing game or be a key figure, he'd already earned admiration around Europe en route to Munich. He has been scrutinised over the years, with many pointing out errors, such as one slip-up against Real Madrid in the 2021-22 Champions League Round of 16.
The four-time Ligue 1 winner has proved his doubters wrong with a phenomenal season that sees him become a European champion. Not even the great Gianluigi Buffon can say that.
Gianluigi Donnarumma's Champions League campaign
Games Played:
Clean Sheets:
Goals Conceded:
Saves:
Goals Prevented:
Who Is The Favorite For The Ballon d'Or?
PSG's Champions League win could prove decisive
Ballon d'Or
Donnarumma is almost certainly in the race for the Ballon d'Or, but the award could go to his teammate Ousmane Dembele. The French attacker has starred for PSG and been one of the most dangerous attackers in Europe.
Dembele is the current frontrunner, while Barcelona's starlet Lamine Yamal is in with a shout, but Barcelona's failure to make the final may prove costly. His teammate Raphinha, Inter's Lautaro Martinez and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah are other contenders.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place on September 22nd in Paris, France, which would be ideal for one of Enrique's crop to claim the award. Manchester City midfielder Rodri was last year's winner, controversially pipping Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior to first place on the podium.
All statistics courtesy ofSofaScore- correct as of 31.05.2025
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