Gareth Bale Names His Clear Favorite for Ballon d'Or

Welsh icon Gareth Bale believes Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmané Dembélé should win the 2025 Ballon d’Or, saying the Frenchman is the favorite “by some way.”

Since retiring in 2023, Bale has been up to all sorts, and he’s currently trying to buy a stake in hometown club Cardiff City. The former Real Madrid star has tried his hand at punditry, too, and has enjoyed gigs with DAZN at the Club World Cup.

Bale will long be regarded as one of the greatest British footballers ever, but his peak coincided with the generational apexes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. As a result, the explosive winger never really got close to claiming a Ballon d’Or of his own, but he did finish in the top 20 five times.

Since Messi and Ronaldo ventured off to MLS and Saudi Arabia respectively, the esteemed individual prize has been well up for grabs. Although Messi claimed his eighth prize in 2023 off the back of Argentina’s World Cup success in Qatar.

Rodri is the controversial holder after many suspected Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior would win the award in 2024, and debate has raged over the 2025 victor. However, in Bale’s eyes, it’s not particularly close at the top. When asked by ESPN about Dembélé’s credentials, he replied: “I think you also have to look at what the teams have won.

“I think everyone obviously talks about individuals, but I think if you are winning those trophies as well, you're winning the Champions league, obviously they've won their domestic treble, if they win again the Club World Cup, it's hard to see anyone else from the season he's had and he's transformed them into trophies as well as the season he's had,” Bale added.

Dembélé has led the line for an outstanding PSG team that failed to conquer the world on Sunday night to complete a remarkable campaign. Still, the Frenchman’s utilisation as a fluid false nine has proven to be the making of Luis Enrique’s side, and he scored his 35th goal of the season in PSG’s Club World Cup semifinal victory over Real Madrid.

“It does make him the front runner by some way in my opinion.”

Barcelona tandem Raphinha and Lamine Yamal are also contenders, while Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah enjoyed a record-breaking season in the Premier League. Vitinha’s supreme form at the base of PSG’s midfield has also thrust him into the mix.