Ballon d’Or contenders take centre stage as PSG host Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will have 13 Ballon d’Or nominees between them when they meet in Paris on Tuesday, with the award ceremony in London next week. PSG have 10 players on the 30-man shortlist, including last year’s winner Ousmane Dembele, while Barcelona have three, led by last year’s runner-up Lamine Yamal.

The match puts several contenders on the same pitch before the winner is announced next week. It also gives the meeting an added point of interest in the Champions League’s league phase, where the immediate stakes for the two clubs were relatively limited.

Yamal makes his case

Yamal, the 19-year-old Barcelona winger, starred as Barcelona won La Liga and then won the World Cup with Spain. He recently told French sports daily L’Equipe that his style of play was his strongest argument for the individual award.

“I think all those who watch football understand the argument in my favour. I go out onto the pitch, I have fun, and I play well,” Yamal said. He also scored in Barcelona’s 5-2 league win at Betis at the weekend.

PSG midfielder Vitinha said his team were not afraid of Yamal. “I wouldn’t say we are afraid,” he said on Monday. “He is one of the best players in the world. What he does is incredible.” Vitinha added that PSG were preparing to face a strong team, not just one player.

Barcelona’s other nominees are 2024 winner Rodri and defender Pau Cubarsi. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe is another contender backed in Spain, where clubs have campaigned publicly for their candidates.

PSG’s strength may split attention

Dembele won last year’s Ballon d’Or after scoring 35 goals in all competitions and helping PSG claim their first Champions League title. He scored 20 times last season, including in the Champions League final against Arsenal, but PSG’s large group of nominees leaves the club without one obvious candidate.

Vitinha finished third in the 2025 Ballon d’Or ranking. Among PSG’s other contenders, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was the best player in last season’s Champions League but did not go to the World Cup, while Fabian Ruiz won both competitions.

PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi has backed Dembele, Kvaratskhelia and Ruiz, while expressing respect for Yamal and Mbappe. The vote, cast by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings, considers only last season, so performances from this campaign will not count towards the award announced next week.