Lamine Yamal’s Ballon d’Or Night — Triumphs, Tensions, and the One Slip
The Ballon d’Or is always one of football’s most dramatic nights, but the 2025 edition in Paris feels especially charged. All eyes are on two names: Ousmane Dembélé and Barcelona’s teenage sensation, Lamine Yamal. Both have had seasons that can only be described as extraordinary, and both arrived at the ceremony with a real chance to walk away holding the most prestigious individual prize in world football.
The red carpet glowed with legends and stars of today — Ronaldinho brought his trademark smile, Andres Iniesta reminded everyone of the years when he deserved this trophy himself, and royalty from both the game and beyond filled the hall. Yet, it was Yamal’s arrival, just 18 years old and already a household name, that drew some of the loudest cheers. He walked in with family, teammates, and that calm confidence that makes many believe this won’t be his only Ballon d’Or night.
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But behind the glamour lies a story that complicated Yamal’s candidacy. Just a few months earlier, in the Nations League final, Spain lost to Portugal on penalties. Emotions ran high, and as Cristiano Ronaldo extended a hand in respect, cameras caught Yamal turning away, refusing the gesture, and heading straight to the dressing room. For a teenager devastated by defeat, it was human. Yet, on a stage where fair play is weighed as heavily as brilliance, that moment stuck in voters’ minds. It raised the question: could such a lapse in sportsmanship cost him the biggest award of his young career?
Meanwhile, Dembélé’s campaign came with its own drama. Reports surfaced of strange behind-the-scenes lobbying attempts, including alleged offers to influencers to promote his Ballon d’Or case. Whether true or not, his football did most of the talking. He led Paris Saint-Germain to their long-awaited Champions League title, a triumph that carries enormous weight in the voting. If he wins tonight, he would become the first Frenchman since Jean-Pierre Papin in 1991 to lift the trophy while playing in Ligue 1.
Yamal, however, has not exactly lacked achievements. He fired Barcelona to a La Liga title, helped win the Copa del Rey, reached the Champions League semifinals, and shone for Spain in their Euro 2024 victory. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick even said confidently that one day, Yamal will win the Ballon d’Or — if not tonight, then soon.
So the night hangs in balance. Will voters look past Yamal’s youthful misstep and reward his brilliance? Or will Dembélé’s long-awaited breakthrough story prevail? Whatever happens, one thing feels certain: football is watching the birth of a rivalry that could define the next decade. And for Lamine Yamal, whether he lifts the golden ball tonight or not, his time is only just beginning.
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