Dembele the Ballon d'Or favourite 'by some distance', says Bale
Gareth Bale feels Ousmane Dembele should be recognised as the world's best player, as Paris Saint-Germain target a clean sweep of trophies.
Ousmane Dembele is the favourite to win this year's Ballon d'Or "by some distance" as Paris Saint-Germain look to add the Club World Cup to their 2024-25 treble.
That is the view of former Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale, who finished sixth in the voting for football's most prestigious individual award in 2016.
Dembele played a talismanic role as Luis Enrique's PSG side won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Champions League in 2024-25 – becoming just the 11th side to claim a league, domestic cup and European Cup/Champions League treble.
He had two assists as PSG crushed Inter 5-0 in the Champions League final, becoming the first player to supply multiple assists in the tournament's showpiece match since Marcelo did so in Madrid's 3-1 win over Liverpool in 2018 – both of which were for Bale.
An injury suffered while on international duty kept Dembele out of PSG's first games of the Club World Cup, but he returned as a substitute in the quarter-finals, scoring against Bayern Munich.
He then played a starring role in PSG's 4-0 hammering of Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
Dembele will lead the line when PSG face Chelsea in Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium, and Bale thinks a victory would cement his status as the firm favourite for the Ballon d'Or.
Asked by ESPN if the 28-year-old deserved to be named the world's best, Bale said: "Yeah, I think so. I think you also have to look at what the teams have won.
"I think everyone talks about individuals, but if you are winning those trophies as well, you're winning the Champions League, obviously they won the treble.
"If they win the Club World Cup, it's hard to see anyone else, with the season he's had. He's transformed them into winning trophies, as well as the individual season he's had.
"It does make him the frontrunner by some way, in my opinion."
Dembele has managed 49 goal involvements in all competitions since the start of 2024-25 (35 goals, 14 assists), with only three players from Europe's top five leagues registering more.
They are Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (57), Barcelona's Raphinha (56) and Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (53). Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe is level with Dembele on 49 contributions.
Dembele has averaged a goal every 96.94 minutes in that time.
Of all players in Europe's top five leagues to net at least 20 times in that span, only Patrik Schick (92.78), Robert Lewandowski (93.5), Ayoze Perez (93.73), Alexander Sorloth (96.42) and Kane (96.46) have averaged fewer minutes per goal.
He has two goals and one assist so far at the Club World Cup, having also come off the bench to score against Bayern in a dramatic 2-0 quarter-final victory.
