Young FC Barcelona star Lamine Yamal isn’t letting his near-miss at the Ballon d’Or get him down. The 18-year-old Spanish forward, fresh off his birthday, finished second in the men’s Ballon d’Or voting behind Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele at the glitzy ceremony in Paris on Monday.
Yamal shone bright last season, helping Barcelona secure Spain’s La Liga and Copa del Rey titles while guiding them to the Champions League semifinals. Still, he stayed positive on social media, posting, “God’s plan is perfect; you have to climb to get to the summit.” Fans and pundits see big things ahead for the teenage sensation in the Ballon d’Or race.
He did snag a major win, though—claiming the Kopa Trophy as the world’s best young player for the second year in a row. “I’m happy for the Kopa Trophy x2 and want to congratulate Dembele for his award and a great season,” Yamal shared graciously.
Dembele, the 28-year-old French forward, lifted the Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career. He dazzled with 35 goals and 16 assists, powering PSG to the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, and French Cup triumphs. As the sixth French winner—and the first since Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema in 2022—Dembele got emotional onstage. “This award was never the goal in my career, but I fought to win the Champions League for the team,” he said.
Yamal’s Barcelona teammate Vicky Lopez also celebrated, taking home the women’s Kopa Trophy for top young player.
PSG dominated the night further, earning Men’s Club of the Year honors after a stunning season with 48 wins and 168 goals. They clinched four straight Ligue 1 titles and that Champions League crown. Coach Luis Enrique picked up the men’s best coach award, while teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma grabbed best goalkeeper. Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres rounded out the individual nods as top scorer.
In a touching moment, the Socrates Award for humanitarian work went to the Xana Foundation, founded by Enrique in memory of his late daughter.
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