La Liga President Opens Up on Why Lamine Yamal Lost Ballon d’Or Award to Ousmane Dembele
- La Liga president Javier Tebas has shared reasons why Lamine Yamal failed to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or
- The 18-year-old Yamal lost the prestigious award to Ousmane Dembele, who had an outstanding season with PSG
- The Spain international bagged the Young Player Award, with 20 of his family members present at the venue
Lamine Yamal finished in second place behind Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele at the 2025 Ballon d'Or award ceremony held at the Theatre du Chatelet on Monday, September 22, 2025.
Despite having an incredible season, the 18-year-old could not beat the France international, who inspired his club to win a treble (Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France in addition to their first-ever Champions League trophy), and scored 35 goals in 53 appearances.
Source: Getty Images
The Spanish won a domestic treble (La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Copa del Rey) in Spain, scoring a total of 18 goals in all club competitions.
Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, said his son deserves the Ballon d'Or for his explosive performance for both country and club. He wrote:
"Lamine Yamal is the best player in the world by far. It’s not just because he’s my son, but because he’s the best player in the world."
Tebas shares his take on Yamal's loss
La Liga president Javier Tebas said Lamine Yamal lost the Ballon d'Or award due to his age.
According to ESPN, Tebas expressed optimism that the 18-year-old would win the award in no distant time with his current form and performance.
He said the Kopa award was a consolation and a way of compensating the player for his role in guiding both club and country to glory. He said:
"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).
"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."
Barcelona's president Joan Laporta believed the Champions League was the deciding factor in the Ballon d'Or race. The Catalans were edged out of the tournament in the semi-finals by Inter Milan.
Source: Getty Images
Lamine Yamal made his debut for Barcelona at the age of 16 under former manager Xavi.
According to the BBC, the 18-year-old became the youngest scorer in the La Liga history, and the youngest player ever to feature at a European Championship.
Yamal also won the Young Player of the Tournament at the 2024 Euros after helping Spain claim the title.
Yamal wins 'Golden Ball'
Legit.ng earlier reported that Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has been announced the winner of the 'Golden Ball' by CIES Football Observatory ahead of Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele.
Real Madrid Star Kylian Mbappe finished runner-up after emerging as the highest goal scorer in the Spanish La Liga last season.
Source: Legit.ng
