Spain’s Lamine Yamal sent a respectful message to his 2025 Ballon d’Or rival Ousmane Dembele after helping Spain knock France out of the Nations League on Thursday. The young Barcelona winger praised Dembele as a top player but made it clear that Spain have secured a place in the Nations League final.

Yamal was the star of the match, scoring twice in Spain’s thrilling 5-4 win over France in Germany. Spain will now face Portugal in the final. After the game, Yamal told RTVE, “The best way to prove yourself is on the pitch. Dembele is a great player, but we’re the ones in the final now.”

Both Yamal and Dembele are seen as serious contenders for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, thanks to their outstanding performances over the past year. At just 17, Yamal has already lifted the LaLiga title and Copa del Rey with Barcelona, while 28-year-old Dembele enjoyed a successful season with Paris Saint-Germain, winning the Champions League, Ligue 1, and Coupe de France.

Former Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger has placed Lamine Yamal ahead of Ousmane Dembele in the race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Although Schweinsteiger didn’t reveal his overall favorite for the award, he made it clear that Spain’s young winger deserves to be ranked above Dembele.

His comments came after Yamal helped Spain secure a victory over France in the Nations League semi-final on Thursday. “Ballon d’Or? Lamine Yamal should be ranked higher than Dembele,” Schweinsteiger told SWR, as reported by Metro UK. “Yamal was the better player on the pitch tonight,” he added.

Both Yamal and Dembele are strong contenders this year thanks to their impressive achievements. Yamal lifted the LaLiga and Copa del Rey trophies with Barcelona under Hansi Flick, while Dembele enjoyed a winning season with Paris Saint-Germain, securing the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1 title, and Coupe de France.

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has shared how the team plans to handle their upcoming friendly clash with Russia in Moscow on Friday. Speaking at a press conference hosted by the Russian Football Union, Troost-Ekong explained that the team won’t stick to one playing style. Instead, they’ll mix things up on the pitch.

“I can’t give too much away since the coach is here,” he joked. “But we’ll definitely try to combine different approaches. We have a clear idea of what to do.” He also mentioned that the squad is still adjusting under their new coach, having only started working with him earlier this year. He sees the game as a valuable opportunity to grow stronger as a team.

“There are some new faces in the squad,” he added. “It’s a big moment for them to show they can live up to what the coaches expect.” The Super Eagles are coming off a penalty shootout win over Jamaica last Sunday in the 2025 Unity Cup, where the match ended 2-2 in regulation time before Nigeria edged it 5-4 on penalties.