Ballon d’Or winner Bonmati believes Pedri deserves more recognition

Spanish women's Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati believes Barcelona star Pedri deserved more recognition after the jury ranked him 11th in the rankings.

Men's 2025 Ballon d’Or award won by Dembele, at a glittering ceremony in Paris on Monday, beating Lamine Yamal and Vitinha.

Dembele played a decisive role in PSG’s historic campaign, guiding the club to its first-ever UEFA Champions League triumph.

Bonmati congratulated Dembele on winning the award and lauded Yamal and Raphinha, and also said that Pedri's ranking is not justified.

"The Ballon d’Or went to Dembélé, and he is a wonderful player. There were Raphinha and Lamine, and they are wonderful players too. But we must talk more about Pedri," Bonmati said.

Talking about her own success, Aitana Bonmati, who has won her third Ballon d’Or award in a row, said many Spanish players have been nominated, which is a sign that there is a lot of talent in the country.

“The truth is, there have been many Ballon d’Ors in a short period, and many Spanish players have been nominated—there is a lot of talent,” she added.

When asked about making it four in a row next year, she said:

“I haven’t even left yet, what am I going to think about next year? Today it was Dembele’s turn, he had a great year, there were Raphinha, Lamine… Great players,” Bonmati said.

Pedri played an important role in Barcelona’s success last year, helping them to secure La Liga and Copa del Rey titles.