Luis Figo says Vitinha 'has a chance of winning' Ballon d'Or 2025

The Portuguese midfielder enjoyed a trophy-laden season with club and country.

Luis Figo, a former Real Madrid and FC Barcelona player, has hinted that a former Premier League underdog might contend for this year’s Ballon d’Or with Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal.

The Frenchman Dembele is currently the favourite after leading Paris Saint-Germain to their first UEFA Champions League victory. The two wingers (including Yamal) are thought to be among the front-runners for the prize.

Figo, who lifted the renowned golden ball in 2000, has a different perspective on the matter. Instead, the 52-year-old implied that following a strong campaign for the club and the nation, a slight possibility might usurp both Dembele and Yamal.

In an interview with AS, Figo mentioned Vitinha, a midfielder for PSG, as a player who had a remote possibility of competing against the top brass for this year’s prize.

Luis Figo names who deserves the coveted award besides Yamal and Dembele

The former Inter Milan player (Yes, Figo did play for Inter too) gave his explanation, saying:

“There are several players who deserve the trophy based on their season. My opinion is irrelevant; the person voting is the one who decides. But I like players like Lamine; Vitinha, who has won everything this season; Dembele, who has done very well too… It depends on whether you’re looking at individual performance for the Ballon d’Or or the titles you’ve won.”

“It depends on personal taste and what you focus on when awarding this important award. Nothing outside of what people talk about. He’s [Vitinha] on the list. He has a chance of winning, but, as I said, it depends on who votes and, of course, what you focus on during the season.”

In addition to winning international honours with Portugal, winning the UEFA Nations League for the second time, the Portuguese midfielder played a key role in Luis Enrique’s PSG team, which won both domestic and European honours this season.

It would be a startling comeback for a player who had struggled while on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he appeared in 22 games at an average of 32 minutes per game throughout the 2020–21 season, and claim football’s top prize this year.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.