Lamine Yamal admits he expected to win 2025 Ballon d’Or ahead of Ousmane Dembele - ‘I wouldn’t have appreciated it’
Published 07/06/2026 at 22:05 GMT+1
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Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has shared his thoughts on how he felt after losing out to Paris Saint Germain's Ousmane Dembele for the Ballon d’Or award last year.
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Yamal, who is still just 18, helped Barcelona to the 2024/25 La Liga title and was instrumental in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph.
He was among the favourites for the individual accolade but came second in the final standings, 321 points shy of Dembele.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, the teenager revealed how he felt after losing out, saying: ”Honestly, being sincere, I thought that day I was going to win it because of many things that happened. I think it was really good for me that Dembele won it.
”Aside from growing personally, I don’t think it was the right time for me to win it because I was still a kid and probably wouldn’t have appreciated what it means to win a Ballon d’Or.
”Also, Dembele and I get along very well. I’ve gone out with him, I’ve talked to him a lot.
”The other day I spoke to him, he asked me how I was doing, so it helped me grow a lot personally, truly.
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”And it helped me get back up because I wasn’t in a good place and I think I’ve matured a lot since then and I’ve changed many things in my life and I’m very happy for Ous.
”Let’s see if this year is mine.”
To soften the blow, Yamal did pick up a second successive men’s Kopa Trophy for the best player under the age of 21.
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Dembele, the former Barcelona forward, played a key role in an outstanding 2024/25 for Paris Saint-Germain.
As well as claiming the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France crowns, PSG ended their long wait for a maiden UEFA Champions League title.
It was the first time he had won the Ballon d’Or in his career and he will likely be among the favourites again this year after PSG added another Ligue 1 to their roll of honour and successfully defended the Champions League with a dramatic victory over Arsenal in the final.
The World Cup could have a huge bearing on who wins the Ballon d’Or in 2026.
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Spain won their maiden World Cup back in 2010 but are seen by many as the favourites to claim the trophy for a second time this year.
They face Peru in their final warm-up game on June 9 before getting their tournament under way against Cabo Verde on June 15.
In their final two Group H fixtures, Spain take on Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
The World Cup begins on June 11 and ends on July 19.
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