The 2024–25 season has undoubtedly been the best of Ousmane Dembélé’s career. Under Luis Enrique, the French winger found consistency, stayed injury-free, and took on a leading role in a dominant PSG. His performances sparked the debate: what if “El Mosquito” really could win the Ballon d'Or?

However, after the Champions League final, the noise started to die down. Not because he lacked merit—but because the media spotlight shifted elsewhere.

Will what he’s done so far be enough to keep him in the race?

The numbers don’t lie

The stats speak for themselves. With Paris Saint-Germain, Dembélé played 51 matches, scored 34 goals, and delivered 15 assists. Add to that his goal against Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup quarterfinals, and you’ve got a Ballon d’Or-worthy campaign.

On top of that, he delivered in key moments: breaking lines, leading counterattacks, and offering a level of offensive consistency rarely seen in his career. In almost any other context, this season would have made him a front-runner.

The uncertainty

All signs pointed to a brilliant Champions League final sealing the deal. And while Dembélé provided two assists, it was Désiré Doué who stole the show with two goals and two assists, delivering a masterclass that pushed Dembélé out of the spotlight.

The momentum drop was compounded by an injury with the French national team, which kept him out of PSG’s opening games in the Club World Cup. His absence—and the emergence of other names—has cooled down his candidacy just when it needed to heat up.

The bookmakers still believe

The official list of the 30 Ballon d'Or nominees hasn't been released yet, but bookmakers already list Dembélé as the favorite—even ahead of Lamine Yamal, another standout of the year.

His season may have ended more quietly than it began, but he remains at the top of the odds. Still, if he wants to lock it in, he’ll need a standout semifinal against Real Madrid and to lift the Club World Cup with PSG. Only then can he silence the remaining doubters.