Ballon d'Or 2025: Guardiola remains tight-lipped, Konaté backs Dembélé

Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, sparked widespread reactions after his cautious remarks regarding the Ballon d'Or.
The Spaniard chose not to name a favorite, stating that none of his players deserved the award this season due to their disappointing performances.

At a press conference, Guardiola said: "I don't know who will win the trophy, but I'm sure the winner will fully deserve it."

This statement has been widely interpreted as a diplomatic sidestep, especially given Manchester City's challenging season, marked by a dip in form and a slew of injuries.

The Catalan tactician also voiced his frustration with the congested schedule, particularly the Club World Cup, which he described as "tiring and inhumane," emphasizing that such a calendar fails to take players' physical and mental health into account.

Ibrahima Konaté names his pick for the Ballon d'Or

On the other hand, Ibrahima Konaté, French defender for Liverpool and Mohamed Salah's teammate, took a very different stance. At a press conference ahead of the France-Spain clash, he made it clear he is firmly backing his compatriot Ousmane Dembélé in the Ballon d'Or race.

Konaté declared: "There's a lot of talk about Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, but no one mentions Ousmane Dembélé."
He added: "For me, Dembélé has had an outstanding season and surprised everyone. In my opinion, he is the most deserving candidate this year."

Also read: African Ballon d'Or 2025: El Hadji Diouf weighs in between Hakimi and Salah

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.