Balahnin: Dembele beat Yamal in the race for the Ballon d'Or

Famous Russian coach Sergey Balahnin shared his thoughts on why PSG forward Ousmane Dembele won the Ballon d'Or. This was reported by Euro-football.ru.

He expressed his opinion in an interview with the online publication Euro-Football.Ru. According to Balahnin, in previous years when the Ballon d'Or was contested between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there was strong competition.

This year, however, an interesting situation arose because it was unclear who would win the award. Dembele and Yamal stand out from other players, but it is difficult to predict how long they can maintain a high level of performance.

Dembele won the Champions League and the French championship, scored nearly 40 goals, and demonstrated the main characteristics of modern football – speed and skill. His playing style fits the current football standards.

Yamal is similar, but due to his youth, he has not yet been fully evaluated. It is difficult for him to win the Ballon d'Or immediately after finishing school, so he needs time, says Balahnin.

Ousmane Dembele, the Ballon d'Or winner, scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists in all tournaments last season. His transfer value is estimated at 90 million euros.