Former France international Claude Makélélé said he would award the 2025 Ballon d’Or to Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembélé, arguing that 17-year-old Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal "will have time to win several in the future." The ex-Real Madrid midfielder made the comment in interviews with El Chiringuito and Radio Marca ahead of this year’s Club World Cup fixtures. Makélélé also maintained that Paris Saint-Germain’s maiden Champions League triumph last season was inevitable, contending the club "would have won even if Kylian Mbappé had stayed" before his transfer to Real Madrid. He added that, despite the forward’s move, "you can’t say no to Real Madrid," as the Spanish side prepares to face PSG in Wednesday’s Club World Cup semifinal in the United States.