Gary Lineker names 'amazing' player he loves but doesn't want to win the Ballon d'Or because of where he plays

Gary Lineker has joked that 1 'amazing' subordinate shouldn't triumph the Ballon d'Or owed to his position.

After a superb 24/25 play came to a close, each eyes volition beryllium connected the idiosyncratic prizes.

The biggest prize of each volition beryllium the prestigious Ballon d'Or award, which was won by Manchester City's Rodri past year.

This year, the beforehand runners see the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Raphina and Mohamed Salah.

However, it is expected that a Paris Saint Germain subordinate could extremity up lifting the trophy aft their stunning play ended with a historical Champions League triumph.

Speaking backmost successful May, Lineker tipped PSG to yet triumph the Champions League.

He said connected The Rest Is Football podcast: "I’m going 2-0 PSG. I deliberation it’s their turn, I’ve kept saying it.

"It’s wherefore I tipped Crystal Palace [to triumph the FA Cup] and aft what happened with Newcastle, and Tottenham winning immoderate benignant of trophy for the archetypal clip successful 17 years, I person a feeling it’s that benignant of season."

PSG won the Champions League. Image: Getty

Lineker past picked retired goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma arsenic 1 of PSG's cardinal figures.

The erstwhile England striker continued: "One of the cardinal figures successful PSG getting this acold has been their goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – an Italian playing against an Italian team.

"What a fig of performances we’ve seen from him successful this competition, truthful adjacent if Inter get done this PSG [defence] they’ve inactive spell 1 large lad to get past! The Martin Odegaard prevention was incredible. Through truthful galore bodies, deed truly hard, debased successful the corner. For a elephantine to get down that quickly, truthful agile."

Lineker past asked his chap pundits: "‘If Donnarumma has different astonishing crippled successful the last and is possibly the cardinal figure, is it imaginable that we get a goalkeeper arsenic the victor of the Ballon d’Or?"

Gianluigi Donnarumma. Image: Getty

After Micah Richards replied: "That’s not a atrocious shout," Lineker rapidly joked: "I deliberation it’s a unspeakable shout! I don’t similar goalkeepers, they ever get successful the mode of the the goalscorers!"

So acold successful the past of the Ballon d'Or, lone 1 goalkeeper has won the award, Lev Yashin backmost successful 1963.

Meanwhile, the past defender to prime up the illustrious gong was successful 2006 erstwhile Italian Fabio Cannavaro won.

Since then, Virgil van Dijk came adjacent erstwhile helium finished conscionable 7 points down Lionel Messi successful 2019.

The 2025 Ballon d'Or grant volition beryllium handed retired connected September 22 astatine the Theatre du Chatelet successful Paris, France.