Barcelona wonderkid, Lamine Yamal came second behind Ousmane Dembele in the 2025 Ballon d’or ranking, losing the award to the PSG forward. However, the result wasn’t favored by all.
Fumed by Dembele’s win, Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraou, has fiercely criticised the outcome of the 2025 Ballon d’Or, saying his son missing out on the award to Ousmane Dembélé was “the biggest moral damage done to a human being.”
Speaking to El Chiringuito TV after Monday’s gala in Paris, Nasraou could not hide disbelief at the voting process, insisting Yamal is the best player in the world.
“I think this is the biggest, I won’t say theft, but moral damage done to a human being because I believe Lamine Yamal is the best player in the world by far, by a huge margin,” Nasraou said.
“It’s not because he’s my son but because he’s the best player in the world. I believe there are no rivals.”
“Lamine is Lamine Yamal. Something very strange has happened here. Next year there will be a Spanish Ballon d’Or winner.”
Why Lamine Yamal lost the 2025 Ballon d’Or
Ousmane Dembélé, 28, had a phenomenal season for PSG, scoring 35 goals in 53 appearances and providing 14 assists as the French side won;
- their first-ever Champions League,
- alongside Ligue 1 and
- the Coupe de France.
Yamal, just 18, scored 18 goals in 55 matches for Barcelona as they lifted LaLiga, the Spanish Supercopa, and the Copa del Rey, but their failure to reach the Champions League final appears to have hurt his chances.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta admitted the European crown was decisive:
“I think winning the Champions League has had its weight. We were hopeful. We had Raphinha, Lamine and Pedri nominated.”
“In the end, Lamine and Dembélé were finalists. I’m sure he [Yamal] will achieve it. Time will tell but he’s got great quality.
“I’m convinced this [finishing second] will only motivate Lamine more. He is a winner. He has a healthy ambition.”
Lamine Yamal Wins Historic Back-To-Back Kopa Trophy
Despite falling short in the Ballon d’Or race, Yamal did make history by winning the men’s Kopa Trophy for a second consecutive year, becoming the first player to claim it more than once.
Laporta highlighted the significance:
“Lamine’s second Kopa is quite remarkable. It’s another recognition; no one has two Kopas.”
Yamal himself kept his focus on the future:
“I need to keep on working to win other awards in the future.”
His agent, Jorge Mendes, was equally confident:
“Lamine is going to win many Ballon d’Or awards.”
With his long-term contract at Barcelona running until June 2031, Yamal has time on his side as the teenager was recognised as the world’s best U-21 talent for a record back-to-back.
Lamine Yamal Lost Ballon d’Or Because of Age — LaLiga President
LaLiga president, Javier Tebas has claimed that Lamine Yamal missed out on the 2025 Ballon d’Or only because of his age, insisting that the 18-year-old Barcelona star will inevitably lift the prestigious award in the near future.
Yamal finished second behind PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé in Monday’s ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, but still made history by becoming the first-ever multiple-time Kopa Trophy winner, awarded to the world’s best player under 21.
Tebas: “If he was older, he would have won”
Speaking after the awards, Tebas was adamant that the teenager deserved football’s highest individual honour.
“If he had been older than 23, he would have won it, too, I’m sure, but since he was younger, they gave him the other one [Kopa Trophy],” Tebas said.
The Spanish football chief remains confident that Yamal’s breakthrough performances guarantee future recognition:
“If he continues at the level he’s at, which seems likely, I think there’s no doubt he’ll win the Ballon d’Or.”
Laporta: Champions League made the difference
Meanwhile, Barcelona president, Joan Laporta took a different stance, suggesting that PSG’s historic treble tilted the vote in Dembélé’s favour.
“The Champions League was decisive in the Ballon d’Or race,” Laporta said, citing Barça’s semifinal exit to Inter Milan as a key factor.
A record-breaking rise
Lamine Yamal has already rewritten football history since making his Barcelona debut at 16. He became the;
- youngest scorer in LaLiga history,
- the youngest player ever to feature at a European Championship, and
- was crowned Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024,
where he helped Spain win the title. At just 18, he is widely regarded as football’s next global superstar.
