Is Lamine Yamal Ready to Win the Ballon d'Or After Being Upstaged by Dembele?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Lamine Yamal is a promising young talent, recently turning 18.
- He finished second in the Ballon d'Or vote behind Ousmane Dembele.
- Yamal has won the Kopa Trophy for best young player twice.
- Dembele won the Ballon d'Or for the first time this year.
- PSG was crowned Men's Club of the Year.
Madrid, Sep 23 (NationPress) FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal is taking a patient approach in his quest for the prestigious Ballon d'Or, as indicated by his latest social media update. The young star, who recently turned 18, secured the runner-up position behind Ousmane Dembele from Paris Saint-Germain during the glamorous awards ceremony held in Paris.
Despite his remarkable contributions that led Barcelona to secure both the League and Cup titles in Spain, and reaching the semifinals of the Champions League last season, Yamal understands that his chance to claim the Ballon d'Or will eventually arrive, as reported by Xinhua.
“God's plan is perfect; climbing is essential to reach the summit,” expressed the teenager on his social media platform.
Although he missed out on the Ballon d'Or, Yamal successfully defended the Kopa Trophy for the best young player for the second consecutive year. “I am thrilled to receive the Kopa Trophy for the second time and I want to extend my congratulations to Dembele for his award and outstanding season,” he remarked.
Ousmane Dembele claimed the 2025 men's Ballon d'Or at the annual ceremony in Paris, achieving this significant milestone for the first time in his career.
The 28-year-old French player netted 35 goals and assisted 16 times last season, contributing to PSG's triumph in the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, and the French Cup, becoming the sixth French recipient of the award since 2022.
Dembele appeared visibly moved during his acceptance speech, stating, “Winning this award was never my career goal, but my aim was to secure the Champions League for the team.”
Barcelona's 18-year-old forward Lamine Yamal finished second in the men's Ballon d'Or vote and was honored with the Kopa Trophy for the best young player, while his teammate Vicky Lopez received the women's Kopa Trophy.
PSG was recognized as the Men's Club of the Year after achieving 48 victories and scoring 168 goals last season, resulting in four consecutive Ligue 1 titles and a Champions League victory. Coach Luis Enrique was named men's best coach, while Gianluigi Donnarumma secured the men's best goalkeeper award, and Viktor Gyokeres was the top scorer. The Socrates Award for humanitarian endeavors was awarded to the Xana Foundation, founded by Enrique in memory of his late daughter.