In an interview on journalist Jose Ramon de la Morena's podcast "Resonancia de Corazon" on 10/9, Yamal revealed that his dream isn't limited to winning just one Ballon d'Or. "I always tell my friends that I don't dream of just one, but many Ballon d'Ors in my career," he said.

Yamal receives the 2023 Golden Boy award from Italian magazine Tuttosport, given to the best U21 player of the year. Photo: FC Barcelona

Yamal receives the 2023 Golden Boy award from Italian magazine Tuttosport, given to the best U21 player of the year. Photo: FC Barcelona

Having turned 18 on 13/7, Yamal is poised to become the youngest player to ever win the Ballon d'Or. He is considered a strong contender for this year's award, alongside Ousmane Dembele and PSG stars like Vitinha and Achraf Hakimi.

If he wins the 2025 Ballon d'Or, Yamal will set a record as the youngest recipient of the prestigious award at 18 years and two months old, surpassing Ronaldo Nazario's record, who won in 1997 at 21 years and three months old. He would also become the third Spanish player in history to be honored, following Luis Suarez in 1960 and Rodri in 2024.

Yamal is confident in his abilities. "I believe I'm capable of winning the Ballon d'Or. If I don't, it's because I haven't performed well enough or haven't been determined enough. I dream of winning multiple Ballon d'Ors, and if that day comes, I'll be very happy. But I'll still want to win more, achieve more, and win every title with my team," he affirmed.

During the conversation, De la Morena played Yamal a clip from an interview he conducted with him when the player was just 12. At the time, when asked about his favorite Barca player, Yamal mentioned Messi and Luis Suarez. When asked how much longer Messi would play for Barca, the young Yamal predicted three years. De la Morena replied, "Three more years? That means you'll debut for Barca's first team at 15."

Recalling the memory, Yamal laughed and said, "It sounded like a joke then, but I actually did debut at 15."

The Ballon d'Or gala will take place on 22/9 at the Le Chatelet Theater in Paris, in the annual event co-organized by French magazine France Football and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The jury, comprising 100 sports journalists representing the top 100 FIFA nations, began voting after France Football announced the list of nominees on 7/8, with the deadline for submitting votes on 25/8.

Ha Phuong (Mundo Deportivo and AS)