"I like both Vitinha and Nuno Mendes. I'd love to see one of them win the Ballon d'Or, but I'm sure Jorge Mendes will be furious because he thinks only Lamine Yamal, the player he represents, deserves to win," Mourinho said on Canal 11 on 23/7.
The Portuguese manager emphasized the importance of teamwork in football. While individual brilliance is desirable, he believes individual awards should be tied to team accomplishments.
 |
Four Portuguese players, including Goncalo Ramos, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and Joao Neves (from left to right), won four titles with PSG in the 2024-2025 season. Photo: AFP |
Four Portuguese players, including Goncalo Ramos, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and Joao Neves (from left to right), won four titles with PSG in the 2024-2025 season. Photo: AFP
France Football will announce the nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or in mid-August. 100 journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings will then vote. The award ceremony will take place at the end of September.
Dembele, who won the Champions League, Ligue 1, French Cup, and French Super Cup in the 2024-2025 season, is considered the frontrunner. Yamal and Raphinha, who helped Barcelona win La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, are also contenders.
Vitinha and Mendes, Dembele's teammates at PSG, may not have the same impressive goal and assist statistics, but they played crucial roles in PSG's success. Vitinha is considered by some to be the best midfielder in the world, while Mendes is arguably unmatched at left-back. In addition to their titles with PSG, both players helped Portugal win the 2025 Nations League.
"I like both of those players. I can't differentiate between them," Mourinho added.
In the same interview, Mourinho discussed his former club, Man Utd, which he managed from 2016 to 2018. Last season, under Ruben Amorim, Man Utd reached the Europa League final but finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest ever league position.
Despite this, Mourinho expressed optimism about Man Utd's future. He saw the club's continued faith in Amorim as a positive sign. "With that stability, we all agree that he is a coach with great potential and personality. He has incredible potential to do great things," he said.
 |
Mourinho (left) welcomes Amorim while managing Man Utd in 2018. Photo: Man Utd |
Mourinho (left) welcomes Amorim while managing Man Utd in 2018. Photo: Man Utd
During his time at Man Utd, Mourinho won the Europa League, League Cup, and Community Shield. In the 2017-2018 season, his team finished second in the Premier League behind Man City. Man City is currently under investigation for alleged financial irregularities between 2009 and 2019. If found guilty, they could be stripped of their title, which would then go to Man Utd. Mourinho supports deducting points from Man City rather than just imposing a fine. "Legally, the title belongs to us," he stated.
Mourinho also attributed Man Utd's 12-year decline not only to Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement but also to the departure of former CEO David Gill in the same year. He believes subsequent leaders lacked the experience to revive the club.
In early 2024, Jim Ratcliffe purchased a 27.7% stake in Man Utd. The second-richest person in the UK, Ratcliffe also owns Lausanne-Sport (Switzerland), Nice (France), a sailing team, and the INEOS cycling team. However, after Ratcliffe's first season in charge, Mourinho remains unconvinced. "Man Utd has a new owner, but he only understands sports, not football," the current Fenerbahce manager remarked.
Thanh Quy (according to Canal 11)
