"If Yamal were older than 23, he certainly would have won the Ballon d'Or. But because he is so young, they gave him the Kopa Trophy," ESPN quoted Tebas on 23/9.

France Football magazine has organized the Ballon d'Or since 1956. 100 journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings vote. The voting criteria include individual performance, team achievements, and fair play.

Ronaldo De Lima holds the record as the youngest player to be honored, winning the 1997 Ballon d'Or at 21 years and 96 days old.

Lamine Yamal on stage receiving the Kopa Trophy during the 2025 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony by France Football at the Chatelet Theater in Paris, France, on 22/9/2025. Photo: FC Barcelona

During the Ballon d'Or awards gala at the Chatelet Theater in Paris on 22/9, Yamal finished second to PSG's Ousmane Dembele.

The French star scored 35 goals in 53 matches, contributing significantly to PSG's quadruple win, including the Champions League, Ligue 1, French Cup, and League Cup. Meanwhile, Yamal scored 18 goals in 55 matches, helping Barca win La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, but they were stopped in the Champions League semi-finals by Inter.

However, Yamal still made history by winning the Kopa Trophy, the award for the best U21 player in the world, for the second consecutive time. The Euro 2024 champion broke the "one winner per year" cycle since the award was first presented by France Football in 2018.

Tebas believes this result does not accurately reflect Yamal's stature, but believes it is only a matter of time before the Barca player wins football's most prestigious individual award. "If Yamal continues to maintain his current form, I have no doubt that he will soon lift the Ballon d'Or," the La Liga president emphasized.

Barca President Joan Laporta believes the Champions League is the deciding factor. He suggested that PSG's superior performance in the European competition gave Dembele an advantage in the voting.

Coach Hansi Flick revealed that he had spoken to Yamal and believed his player would be highly motivated to compete for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. "Dembele also deserves the award, and Yamal accepts that," the German coach said in a press conference before the match against Real Oviedo in round 6 of La Liga. "But he is still very hungry and will certainly have a chance. Yamal will be back soon, and everything is very promising."

Hong Duy (according to ESPN, Marca)