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

Javier Tebas: Lamine Yamal’s age influenced the Ballon d’Or

The president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, has expressed his opinion on the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony, where Lamine Yamal came in second place. Tebas believes that the player’s youth was a determining factor in the voting, but he is optimistic about his future. Yamal, who turned 18 in July, was surpassed by Ousmane Dembélé, Paris Saint-Germain forward, in the race for the prestigious award.

Despite not winning the Ballon d’Or, the young Barcelona talent made history by becoming the winner of the Kopa Trophy for the second time, an award that recognizes the best player under 21 years old.

“If I had been over 23 years old, I would have won it too, I’m sure, but as I was younger, they gave him the other [Kopa Trophy],” Tebas commented.

Javier Tebas

Unlike Tebas, Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes that performance in the Champions League was the decisive factor in the selection of the Ballon d’Or winner.

Dembélé, 28 years old, scored 35 goals in 53 matches in all competitions with PSG, who won Ligue 1 and the French Cup, in addition to their first Champions League. For his part, Yamal scored 18 goals in 55 games last season, helping Barça win LaLiga, the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, but the team fell in the semi-finals of the Champions League against Inter Milan. Yamal, upon receiving the Kopa Trophy, stated that he must “keep working to win other awards in the future”. The young player has broken numerous records since his debut with Barcelona at the age of 16, including being the youngest goalscorer in the history of LaLiga and the youngest player to participate in a European Championship. In addition, he was chosen as the Best Young Player of the tournament at the Euro 2024, where Spain was crowned champion. Tebas is convinced that Yamal will win 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,” Tebas stated.

Javier Tebas