During a Canal11 documentary, Vitinha, the 26-year-old midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal, was asked to comment on any potential feelings of injustice surrounding his third-place finish in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, behind Ousmane Dembélé (the 28-year-old PSG and French national team forward) and Lamine Yamal (the 18-year-old FC Barcelona and Spain forward).
Vitinha: “If I had finished off the podium, no one would have seen me disappointed.”
“When I said Dembélé was the rightful winner, I wasn’t just saying that. He’s our anchor and our leader on the pitch. He was decisive in the key moments and deserved to win. I knew I could finish well, but I never set my expectations too high. If I had finished off the podium, no one would have seen me disappointed. But of course, being on the podium was special.”
Around the Ballon d’Or, and this is one of the most irritating aspects of this trophy, the media and fans are always looking for injustices. Every ranking has to be debated and should be changed. Vitinha is far removed from all that. He knows full well that the team is what matters most and that the winner deserves their place.
The PSG number 17 hadn’t made this trophy an absolute must. It’s a bonus, and being on the podium is nice. But his mission is collective; that’s where he wants to win titles. A simplicity that feels good and from which some could draw inspiration.
