Sport
Yamal Says Dembele Is Great Player But Spain Are the Ones in Nations League Final
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 footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
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