Yamal, Fabian and Pedri deserve Ballon d'Or nominations – De la Fuente

Lamine Yamal, Fabian Ruiz and Pedri all deserve to be nominated for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, according to their Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente.

The Euro 2024 champions are preparing to face France in the Nations League semi-finals in Stuttgart on Thursday, with a place in Sunday's final at stake.

In the last four, La Roja will come up against a player that has been tipped to be crowned the world's best, in Ousmane Dembele.

Dembele scored 33 goals and provided 13 assists as Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League, Ligue 1 and Coupe de France treble under Luis Enrique, though De la Fuente also believes the Parisiens' Spanish midfielder Fabian deserves recognition.

He also put Barcelona duo Yamal and Pedri forward as possible contenders at Wednesday's pre-match press conference, while admitting he would vote for any Spain player that had a chance of winning the award.

"If you put his name on the table, I will say I vote for Lamine. But it's the same with Fabian or any Spanish player," De la Fuente said.

"If they are rewarded for winning titles, Lamine, Pedri or Fabian have done everything to be nominated. 

"If I have to vote, I can already anticipate that it will be for the Spanish player who is nominated!"

Yamal had 18 goals and 21 assists for Barcelona in 2024-25 as they won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana.

Having seen Yamal build on the momentum he generated by helping Spain win a record-breaking fourth European Championship last year, De la Fuente is determined to protect his teenage winger.

"Lamine has a career that in the future is going to be spectacular, but our responsibility is to take care of the small details," he said.

"Not only am I in love with Lamine's football, but I also predict a splendid future for him. Lamine has everything to be among the five best players in the world. 

"He is very responsible, a very good professional, a good person... he has everything, as long as he doesn't get an injury, God forbid."

This week's Nations League matches take Spain back to the scene of their Euro 2024 triumph in Germany, and De la Fuente's side have been touted as favourites to lift the trophy over France, Germany and Portugal.

He rejected that tag, saying: "In this final four we have three world champions and one European champion.

"There are no favourites. There are three games that are three real finals. It's very difficult. These matches are going to be determined by the small details; it is so equal."