Former France player, Raymond Domenech, has backed Paris Saint-Germain defender, Achraf Hakimi, to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or ahead of his teammate Ousmane Dembele.
According to him, Hakimi deserves the recognition more than Dembele and Vitinha because he showed more consistency during the season.
Domenech pointed out that the Moroccan full-back delivered strong performances for PSG all year, unlike some teammates who only shined in certain parts of the season.
France Football, the organisers of the Ballon d’Or, announced that the 2025 award ceremony will take place on September 22 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
A 30-man shortlist for the prestigious award has been released, and it includes Hakimi, Vitinha, and Dembele. Also on the list are Barcelona stars Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, among other top players.
Despite the big names on the shortlist, Domenech believes Hakimi stands out and should win the award.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he said: “If we want to make things interesting, I’d go for Hakimi. Dembele played well but only started performing at a high level from January, especially against Manchester City.
Hakimi, however, was consistent all season and, as a defender, he scored crucial goals in the Champions League quarter-final, semi-final, and final—something Dembele didn’t manage.”
Both Hakimi and Dembele were key to PSG’s success last season, helping the club secure the Ligue 1 title, the Champions League trophy, the UEFA Super Cup, and two domestic cup wins.
