Lamine Yamal: Why does he deserve to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or?

If the Ballon d'Or voting process were truly fair, Lionel Messi would have 14 Ballon d'Or awards to his name instead of eight, as he was, by far, the best footballer in the world for a considerable period. However, he often had to concede defeat to players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, who were rewarded for their team's Champions League success rather than their individual superiority. The system that largely failed Messi now presents the possibility of failing Lamine Yamal as well . Barcelona's new star, who has just inherited Messi's iconic number 10 shirt, could, if the odds are right, see Ousmane Dembélé lift the Ballon d'Or, despite Yamal 's superior individual performance.

The generational rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo divided fans, with very little separating the two superstars in terms of goalscoring output, but there was always a huge gulf in quality. The truth is, Messi never had his equal. Even after being forced to leave Barcelona, ​​the place he called home for 21 years, the diminutive maestro was able to claim one last Ballon d'Or after almost single-handedly inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar.

Karim Benzema is the only player who can honestly claim to have beaten Messi for the award by outperforming him, after enjoying a stellar 2021-22 season with Real Madrid while the Argentine struggled to adapt in his first year at Paris Saint-Germain. For the most part, the system failed Messi, and now there's a chance it could fail Lamine Yamal as well.

Barcelona's latest gem, who has just inherited Messi's iconic number 10 shirt, will have to watch—if the betting odds are to be believed—as Ousmane Dembélé lifts the Ballon d'Or in Paris. The French winger is the overwhelming favorite for the 2025 award after leading PSG to the treble, but Dembélé was no better than Lamine Yamal last season. Like Messi before him, the 18-year-old is the purists' champion and, in an ideal world, would be automatically catapulted to the top of the podium.

The numbers favor Lamine Yamal

Let's look at the raw numbers first: Dembélé recorded 46 goal contributions for PSG in the 2024-25 season, seven more than Lamine Yamal managed at Barça. Per 90 minutes, the French international also had a shot conversion rate of 17.4% compared to Yamal's 8.1%, created more chances (3 to 1.8), and registered more touches in the opposition's penalty area (9.2 to 7.5).

These statistics suggest that Dembélé was more effective than Lamine Yamal , but additional context is needed. Yamal played 4,548 minutes in all competitions, significantly more than Dembélé's total of 3,286. The vast majority of those minutes were in La Liga, a far more competitive division than Ligue 1. This is supported by the fact that Barcelona finished only four points ahead of Real Madrid in the Spanish title race, while a massive 19-point gap separated French champions PSG from runners-up Marseille. Luis Enrique's side retained their crown with six games to spare, something that should never happen in one of Europe's top five leagues.

Spain's Copa del Rey is also several levels above its French equivalent. Barça had to overcome Real Betis, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, and Real Madrid on their way to the trophy, while PSG beat lower-division sides such as Le Mans, Stade Briochin, and Dunkerque before overcoming soon-to-be-relegated Reims to lift the Coupe de France.

Dembélé's Champions League exploits are therefore the main driving force behind his Ballon d'Or bid. He scored eight goals and provided six assists in 15 appearances, enough to earn him the Player of the Tournament award. However, technically speaking, he did not surpass Lamine Yamal . The Barcelona teen sensation netted nine goals and provided 13 assists in two fewer matches, and it could be argued that he was unfairly penalized for Barcelona's semi-final elimination at the hands of Inter.

The Dembélé myth, discredited

According to Opta, Lamine Yamal also boasted a higher dribbling success rate than Dembélé (53.5% to 44.4%) and won more duels (8 to 3.5) per 90 minutes. This means that not only was Lamine Yamal superior in one-on-one situations, but he also did more significant work off the ball, helping to debunk the myth that Dembélé was the game's most monstrous presser last season.

Consistency throughout the campaign should also be taken into account. Yamal remained at the same incredibly high level throughout the year, but Dembélé didn't really explode until December, and was even dropped from Luis Enrique's squad for PSG's Champions League group stage clash with Arsenal due to an apparent lack of commitment in training.

As if all that evidence weren't enough in Lamine Yamal 's favor , Dembélé was also the second-best internationally. The 28-year-old scored just twice in seven appearances for France between September and June, while Yamal netted three goals and provided one assist in the same number of matches for Spain. Crucially, it was Yamal who won his "Ballon d'Or playoff" in the Nations League semi-finals, scoring a superb brace in Spain's thrilling 5-4 extra-time victory against France, while Dembélé failed to find the net after squandering several clear chances.

Player of great matches

“Today, Lamine made a statement. He showed that he is the best in the world and that he deserves the Ballon d'Or,” declared Spanish national team coach Luis de la Fuente after Lamine Yamal 's Man of the Match performance against France. In reality, that was just one of many similar statements Yamal made in the most important matches of last season.

Real Madrid were particularly fed up with the teenager by the end of May. The extraordinary La Masia graduate scored in both of Barça's league wins over their arch-rivals, as well as in their El Clásico triumph in the Spanish Super Cup, and also provided two assists against Los Blancos in the Copa del Rey final, where Flick's side prevailed 3-2 after extra time.

Lamine Yamal also found the net against top-six clubs like Atlético Madrid, Athletic Club, and Villarreal, while in the Champions League, he scored in every knockout round. It's normal for talented youngsters to struggle on the biggest stages, but Yamal seems to be enjoying it.

'Cheat Code'

That remarkable strike against Benfica would have been worthy of winning Goal of the Tournament, but Lamine Yamal somehow managed to top it in Barcelona's semi-final clash with Inter. Barça were 2-0 down after 21 minutes in the first leg at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, and desperately needed a spark to get them back into the game, which Lamine Yamal provided on his 100th professional appearance for the club.

After shaking off a challenge from Marcus Thuram on the right wing, Yamal outpaced Henrikh Mkhitaryan and surged into the penalty area. The skillful attacker was surrounded, but somehow managed to unleash a shot without breaking stride, and it nestled inside the post, beating the completely helpless goalkeeper Yan Sommer. At that moment, Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to score in a Champions League semi-final at 17 years and 291 days old, breaking Kylian Mbappé's previous record at Monaco.

'A terrifyingly good boy'

The "cheat code" wasn't enough in the second leg, as Inter prevailed 4-3 in extra time. Barça dominated both matches, but weren't clinical enough without the injured Robert Lewandowski. Lamine Yamal didn't deserve to be on the losing side. Even being marked more closely in Milan, he racked up nine shots, 14 successful dribbles, and 11 crosses, prompting Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni to send him a special message after the game.

“Respect to our opponents, they showed incredible strength and heart,” Bastoni said on social media. “And a special mention to a terrifyingly good guy: Lamine Yamal , you’re a monster.” That elegant tribute perfectly encapsulated the feelings of experts and fans alike.

Zinedine Zidane echoed Bastoni's sentiments, saying, “I've never seen anything like it in my life. It's fabulous to see someone with such mastery of their craft on the pitch.” It's extremely rare to hear such high praise from a Real Madrid icon, let alone for a Barcelona player, but Lamine Yamal evokes powerful emotions in everyone who watches him play. That's why Barcelona gave Lamine Yamal a new six-year contract, making him the club's highest-paid player, and why he should be officially recognized by France Football as the best player on the planet.

Afun