Dutch legend Ruud Gullit believes PSG’s 19-year-old Désiré Doué could one day win the Ballon d’Or, praising his rise and Paris’ exciting youth revolution.
Former Ballon d’Or winner Ruud Gullit is backing Paris Saint-Germain’s teenage sensation Désiré Doué to one day take home football’s most coveted individual prize.
Speaking at the Laureus World Sports Awards on April 21, the Dutch football icon—who won the Ballon d’Or in 1987—was asked by NEKO Deportes which young stars, besides Lamine Yamal, could be future winners.
“Oh… That’s a difficult question. I really like Doué, from PSG. He’s young too, it could be him,” Gullit said of the 19-year-old midfielder, who was born nearly two decades after his own Ballon d’Or triumph.
Doué, who joined PSG last summer from Rennes for around €50 million ($56.9m), has quickly become a standout player in a new-look Paris squad that’s leaning heavily into youth. This season, he’s logged 6 goals and 6 assists in 27 Ligue 1 games, helping to drive PSG’s domestic and European ambitions.
Gullit is clearly impressed with PSG’s evolution into a dynamic, youthful team, praising several of the club’s rising stars.
“I love Doué, Barcola and Vitinha! He played for Wolves and wasn’t good enough for them and now he’s the best player at PSG… Sometimes you see such fantastic things,” he told Le Parisien.
He also gave props to Ousmane Dembélé, who has found new life in a central role at PSG after years of playing on the right.
“It’s beautiful to see Dembélé. He’s found a new position. He was always on the right, he’s in the center and scores a lot of goals. It’s nice, Paris is the team everyone wants to see.”
Doué is one of six players aged 22 or under contributing to PSG’s Champions League push this season, a stat that reflects the club’s commitment to developing young stars into global icons.
If Gullit’s prediction holds, Doué might just be on the path to joining football’s elite—and maybe even adding his name to the Ballon d’Or history books.
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