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Ryan Cherki has backed Kylian Mbappe or Ousmane Dembele to win the Ballon d'Or this year. He believes that the two French players have been the best players in the world over Mohamed Salah, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal.
Speaking to the media ahead of France vs Spain on June 5, Cherki said that Mbappe and Dembele were his top two for the coveted prize this year. He added that it was hard to choose between the two as they were the best players in the world. He said via MadridXtra:
“Ballon d’Or? The two best players in the world are French. Mbappé & Dembélé. It’s hard to choose one.”
Ousmane Dembele was backed by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Luis Enrique too after the UEFA Champions League final on May 31, as they beat Inter Milan. The Spaniard claimed that his star player was the best this season, and he had no doubt that the Frenchman deserved it. He said:
"Everyone is concerned about who I would give the Ballon d'Or to. I would give the Ballon d'Or to Ousmane Dembele for the way he defended in this final. That's what you call leading a team. I sincerely believe he deserves the Ballon d'Or, without a doubt, not just for the titles he won or the goals he scored, but for his pressing. He's done it all season, but exceptionally in this final."
Ousmane Dembele played a key role in helping PSG win the treble this season. They sealed the Ligue 1 title and followed it up with the Coupe de France before thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the UEFA Champions League final.
Ousmane Dembele was not focused on Ballon d'Or
The forward spoke to the media ahead of the UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan last week and stated that he was not thinking about the individual awards. He added that the focus remained on helping his team win the title for the first time in their history and said via ESPN:
"When you are a PSG player, what's important is to take home the silverware such as the Champions League. I am focused on the team, not individual trophies. It [Ballon d'Or] is in the back of mind, but I want to focus on the team."
Mohamed Salah and Raphinha were the leading candidates for several pundits and journalists before they were eliminated from the Champions League. Lanime Yamal is also a contender for the award after his stellar season with Barcelona.
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Sripad is a veteran Sportskeeda football journalist who has been with the company for around 10 years. His tryst with writing happened in class XI when he started penning blogs, and his foray into football was during the early 2000s, watching matches with his cousins.
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Edited by Aditya Singh