Exclusive: Ex-France defender on Ballon d’Or race, Spain-France UEFA Nations League clash and Kylian Mbappe | OneFootball

The 2025 Ballon d’Or award could be heading to Barcelona later this year, but after last weekend, the chances of this happening have reduced after Ousmane Dembele, formerly of the Catalans, helped Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League for the very first time in their history.

Mikael Silvestre assesses 2025 Ballon d’Or race

Many now see Dembele as the favourite to win the award ahead of Lamine Yamal. But as former France defender Mikael Silvestre has told Football España, in collaboration with Esports Insider, he believes that this summer’s events could be the deciding factor.

“I think the Ballon d’Or race is still open. The Nations League and Club World Cup will be important factors that some into the battle between Lamine Yamal and Dembele. Right now, it is very hard to predict who will be on top. They have been very similar this season, so it is very close as to who will win.”

Silvestre previews Spain-France UEFA Nations League clash

Silvestre also spoke on Lamine Yamal in the context of Thursday’s UEFA Nations League semi-final clash between Spain and France. The 40-time capped defender made it clear that the 17-year-old must be stopped for Les Bleus to have any chance of reaching this weekend’s final against Portugal.

“Lamine is getting better and better. He was already very mature at the Euros, and after another full season at Barcelona, he has reached another level. France need to double up on him, but even that may not be enough to stop him. Ultimately, the 1v1 battle between him and Theo Hernandez will be crucial.

“France received a footballing lesson during the last meeting at Euro 2024. Spain controlled the game – especially in midfield – and we could not get near them. They dominated. I don’t think our players were bad, but it was that Spain moved the ball better and quicker, and they were also faster in their play. Going into this fixture, it is clear that tactics need to be tweaked so that France are able to create an overload in midfield. If not, there could be further problems.”

Silvestre impressed by Kylian Mbappe’s first season in Madrid

Image via Diario AS

Silvestre also spoke on countryman Kylian Mbappe’s first season at Real Madrid, which saw him end the campaign as the winner of the European Golden Boot.

“Kylian had a slow start at Real Madrid, which is to be expected given that he was adapting to a new league and a new club. He would have been frustrated, but after finding his rhythm, he came into the best form that he has shown since the 2022 World Cup. It was a very positive season for him from an individual standpoint, and he will hope that his teammates can follow his example next season.”