Yes, we are really having Lamine Yamal vs. Kylian Mbappé the day Nintendo Switch 2 launches

June 5th, 2025, will be an exciting day here at Gamereactor. After years of rumours and speculation, the Nintendo Switch 2 will finally arrive: the successor to Nintendo's most successful console... you could almost say of all time. It is launching with a somewhat slim launch catalogue, but one that includes a gigantic new Mario Kart game we will be playing for years.

You will be able to read all about the Switch 2 here, once Nintendo actually let us publish reviews of the hardware and games, all while the Summer Game Fest (kicking off extra-officially with a State of Play by Sony tonight) unfolds. However, as Gamereactor's Sport reporter, I will have to divide my time in other events, mainly the Roland Garros semi-finals and the Nations League final four, with a clear stand out: the Spain vs. France match on Thursday evening (20:00 BST, 21:00 CEST).

Yes, a Nations League semi-final is not the most exciting match in the world of football (certainly, last year's UEFA Euro semi-final was more interesting - with a great goal by Lamine, by the way). However, it should still be (hopefully) a great match between two of the highest quality teams in the world, and one that has some interesting individual narratives, most of them regarding Lamine Yamal, the most talked-about player of the year.

Lamine Yamal's best chance to secure the Ballon d'Or against Dembélé?

While Yamal and Mbappé may be each nations' most renowned players (particularly from my not-so-hidden football preferences), the truth is that Mbappé have lost some limelight to two of his former PSG colleagues: Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué. The former is the top goal scorer of the season, and main rival for Lamine Yamal for the Ballon d'Or race. The latter is being hailed as "PSG's Yamal": a teenager (19) who has taken the world of football by storm.

While Dembélé may be Yamal's main opponent for the Ballon d'Or (Luis Enrique has no doubt who deserves it more), it is actually Doué who has already outshone Yamal in one category: being chosen as the best young player of Champions League by UEFA, something few could have predicted weeks ago. Doué scored two goals and assisted another, being the first player to have three goal contributions in a Champions League final: that must have certainly tipped the scale in his favour... although Yamal wouldn't agree, as he believes the Ballon d'Or (and by extension, any award) should not be decided just by a single match.

I don't believe either than in five months few people will remember this match to the point to use it to decided who deserves the award better. What I do think I will remember forever is watching a great football match with some of the best footballers in the world, while enjoying my first races at the new Mario Kart World with my pals, and I will treasure that forever.