Since Kylian Mbappe left, other players at the Parc des Princes have begun to speak up, notably Ousmane Dembele.
PSG's No. 10 player is considered the most promising candidate for the Golden Ball award with a great second half of the 2024-2025 season.
The 28-year-old has scored 34 goals and 13 assists in 51 matches in all competitions.
Dembele played a decisive role in the Champions League round 16 against Liverpool (one goal), quarter-final against Aston Villa (two assists), semi-final against Arsenal (one goal, one assist) and final against Inter Milan (two assists).
At the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Dembele also scored in the quarter-final win over Bayern Munich.
Coach Luis Enrique has put Dembele at the center of the system and the leader of the attack. The most important thing is that Dembele has done what Enrique had tried to convey to Mbappe before but failed.
After the Champions League final, a 5-0 win over Inter Milan, Enrique praised Dembele.
"I will give the Ballon d'Or to Dembele for the way he defended in this final. That is what you call leading a team.
I really believe he deserves the Ballon d'Or, there is no doubt. Not only because of the titles he has won or the goals he has scored, but also because of his impressive form," said the Spanish captain.
10 months ago, in a video that quickly went viral ahead of PSG's Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona, Enrique tried to convince Mbappe to do the same.
"I heard you like Michael Jordan. He is famous for taking responsibility for his teammates and defending seriously. You need to apply that approach. Not only as a player, but also as a leader on the pitch. You have to put pressure. Why? Because that's how you become a leader.
He thinks his job is to score for us, and for sure, he is a great player, world-class. But that was not enough for me," said Enrique.
Besides Dembele, other players have also impressed under Enrique.
PSG's midfield trio has developed remarkably throughout the season, with Vitinha, Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz complementing each other well. The duo Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes have also become the world's best full-backs, both in defence and attack.
In addition, Desire Doue has developed from a reserve player at Rennes a year ago to the world's best U20 star, alongside Barcelona's Lamine Yamal.
Currently, Mbappe and Real Madrid are the final obstacles between PSG and another final match this season. They are looking forward to their fourth final after the French Super Cup (won against Monaco), the French Cup (won against Reims) and the Champions League (won against Inter Milan).
A final note: This will be the fourth match between Mbappe and PSG. The first 4 matches took place when he was still playing for Monaco. Mbappe's specific record is 1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses and no goals.
