"Fifty-nine years on from the first Ballon D'Or Award, at a time when many complain that the global game is becoming asphyxiated by systems, technology, and teams that cancel each other out, two street-style footballers, Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal -- two men whose body language lies to defenders, whose attacking anarchy makes fans feel volcanic joy and excitement -- have dominated the voting and fought out a thrilling battle to be named the world's best player."
"The fact that Dembele led his team, Paris Saint-Germain, to their first Treble by finally making them European champions, meant he pipped the teenage Catalan genius who now becomes, by two full years, ahead of Ronaldo Nazario, Leo Messi and Gianni Rivera (who were all 20) the youngest ever to reach the Ballon D'Or podium. Bronze position went to the laudable and exceptionally talented Vitinha."
Two street-style footballers, Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal, dominated Ballon d'Or voting and contested a thrilling battle for the world's best player. Dembélé led Paris Saint-Germain to their first Treble and European title, narrowly beating the teenage Catalan genius. Yamal becomes the youngest ever to reach the Ballon d'Or podium, younger by two years than Ronaldo Nazario, Lionel Messi and Gianni Rivera when they reached it. Bronze went to Vitinha, who won a Treble with PSG and the Nations League with Portugal. The top three echo the 1956 Ballon d'Or trio of Mathews, di Stefano and Kopa, all maverick, skill-heavy attackers who thrilled crowds.
Read at www.espn.com
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