Aurélien Tchouaméni, the 26-year-old Real Madrid and France midfielder, spoke to France 24. As is the case with almost every interview lately, the conversation turned to the Ballon d’Or. The French international took a patriotic stance. He counts Ousmane Dembélé—the 29-year-old Paris and Les Bleus forward—among his candidates, alongside Kylian Mbappé (27-year-old Real Madrid forward) and Michael Olise (24-year-old Bayern Munich attacking midfielder/winger).
“So many players deserve it. Obviously Kylian (Mbappé); he had an exceptional season, and I think he deserves it. Ousmane (Dembélé) did incredible things with Paris; he won the Champions League once again. Michael Olise… Obviously, it has to go to a Frenchman.”
Tchouaméni avoids controversy by naming his three international teammates who are among the 30 finalists—starting with Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé—without actively campaigning for any one of them. Every word counts and is subject to scrutiny on this topic, as if expressing a footballing opinion could amount to a betrayal.
In any case, each player has a strong case, and the race looks tight this year. Everyone has their own favorite, based on different criteria and approaches to the game.
