Thebes: Lamine Yamal, Golden Ball denied by age, but future assured

The president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, expressed his conviction that Lamine Yamal, the young star of FC Barcelona, did not win the Ballon d’Or due to his age, but is sure that he will soon win the prestigious award.

Yamal and the Ballon d’Or

Yamal, who turned 18 in July, came in second in the Ballon d’Or voting, surpassed by Ousmane Dembélé, Paris Saint-Germain forward. Despite not winning the Ballon d’Or, the young Barcelona and Spanish national team player made history by becoming the only multiple-time winner of the Kopa Trophy, an award that recognizes the best player under 21 years old.

If he were over 23 years old, he would have won it too, I’m sure, but as he was younger, they gave him the other [Kopa Trophy]

Javier Tebas

In contrast to the opinion of Tebas, the president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, considered that the performance in the Champions League was the decisive factor in the choice of the Ballon d’Or.

Dembélé, 28, scored 35 goals in 53 games in all competitions for PSG, who won Ligue 1 and the French Cup, as well as their first Champions League title. Yamal, for his part, scored 18 goals in 55 matches in all competitions last season, while Barça won LaLiga, the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, but lost in the semi-finals of the Champions League against Inter Milan. Upon receiving the Kopa Trophy, Yamal stated that he must “keep working to win other awards in the future”. Lamine Yamal has broken numerous records since he debuted with Barcelona at 16 years old, including being the youngest goalscorer in the history of LaLiga and the youngest player to participate in a European Championship. He won the Young Player of the Tournament award at Euro 2024 after helping Spain win the title. Tebas showed himself convinced that Yamal will lift the Ballon d’Or in the near future.

If he continues at the level he’s at, which seems likely, I think there’s no doubt he will win the Ballon d’Or

Javier Tebas