Dembele is my brother — Barcelona star weighs in on Ballon d'Or tussle between Yamal and PSG's ace

Barcelona midfielder Gavi has weighed in on the Ballon d'Or conversations that pit his former teammate, Ousmane Dembele, against his current club and country mate, Lamine Yamal. 

The perception around the top contenders for the Ballon d'Or has steadily shifted through the season. Midway through the campaign, Mohamed Salah was in the driving seat, but after Liverpool's early exit from the Champions League, his chances diminished. 

Then came Raphinha, whose numbers were equally as good as Salah's and, unlike the Egyptian, had big performances in the UCL knockout phase. 

However, the Brazilian was soon edged in the race by his teammate, Lamine Yamal, whose brilliant performance in El Clásico was sandwiched between two sensational performances against Inter in the Champions League semi-final. 

His performance in the tie led many, including Inter players, to dub him the best footballer in the world. While it seemed then that Yamal was a shoo-in, his chances have now been dampened, as an equally brilliant Dembele led PSG to their first-ever Champions League triumph in a treble-winning season. 

Gavi, who played with Dembele and is currently teammates with Yamal, was presented with the debate, and he had a diplomatic response, seemingly backing the teenager but crediting the remarkable season Ousmane has had. 

“Ballon d’Or? Dembélé is like my brother and he had a great season,” Gavi said. “For me, he should absolutely be in the top three, and I will be really happy for him. However, Lamine’s season is unique.”