An eye-opening comparison between Scott McTominay and Lamine Yamal shows exactly why the Scot should be guaranteed a Ballon d'or nomination this year.
McTominay has been a revelation in his debut season at Napoli, even scoring a bicycle kick against Cagliari on the final day as they secured the Serie A title.
The 28-year-old midfielder has not looked back since he left Manchester United last summer for £25 million to work under former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Antonio Conte in Naples.
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His crucial contributions saw him awarded Serie A's 'most valuable player' award, a prize which has previously been won by Cristiano Ronaldo, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Romelu Lukaku.
But he has not received the same plaudits as Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, as both sides won their respective league titles.
That is despite McTominay scoring more league goals, ending the campaign with 12, compared to Yamal's nine.
The 17-year-old Spanish winger is the second favourite to win the Ballon d'or at odds of 7/2, whilst McTominay is priced at 500/1.
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Yamal caught the world's attention last summer with impressive performances for his country as they won Euro 2024.
And he carried that form into this season with FC Barcelona as they won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup to complete a domestic treble.
But they fell short in the Champions League, losing a thrilling semi-final 7-6 to Inter Milan over two legs.
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PSG star Ousmane Dembele is the strong favourite to win the prestigious award after the French side completed the treble on Saturday after a 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan.
And the French attacker has already won one individual honour, when he was named UEFA's Champions League player of the season.
Luis Enrique's side knocked out a trio of English sides on their way to winning Europe's premier club competition.
Following a penalty shootout victory over Liverpool, they defeated Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, before beating Arsenal to secure their place in the final.
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Fans will not have to wait long to find out who has been nominated for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, with the nominees set to be announced in August.
The ceremony will then be held on 22 September at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
And there are several X users, who feel McTominay deserves a nomination for the award even if the chances of anyone winning outside of Dembele look slim following PSG's victory in Europe.
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@NoodleHairCR7 said: "Scott Mctominay for Ballon Dor???"
In reply, @UTDShifty wrote: "He should be getting shouts idk why he’s not."
But not everyone was convinced.
@purefootballX said: "Next joke please."
Topics: Scott Mctominay, Manchester United, Napoli, Antonio Conte, Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembele, FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, PSG
James Taylor