The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris topped Ousmane Dembele as the perfect participant on the earth, however the headlines weren’t nearly his triumph. Runner-up Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s teenage sensation, impressed along with his performances throughout the previous 12 months however narrowly missed out on soccer’s most prestigious particular person award.
But what drew much more consideration was not solely Yamal’s gracious response but in addition an uncommon perspective supplied by La Liga president Javier Tebas. In a comment that has sparked debate throughout Spain and past, Tebas gave an uncommon seven-word rationalization for why Yamal didn’t declare the Golden Ball—including a mysterious twist to an already dramatic night.
Dembele’s Ballon d’Or victory was constructed on a outstanding marketing campaign with Paris Saint-Germain. The French ahead scored 35 targets in 53 matches, inspiring PSG to a historic treble that included their first-ever Champions League title, Ligue 1, and the French Cup. His consistency and management made him the voters’ best choice, securing his place in soccer historical past.
For Yamal, the night was bittersweet. Regardless of not successful the Ballon d’Or, the Barcelona prodigy didn’t go away empty-handed. He grew to become the first participant in historical past to win the Kopa Trophy twice, an award introduced to the perfect under-21 participant on the earth.
What did Javier Tebas say about Yamal?
After the ceremony, Javier Tebas was requested about Yamal’s second-place end. His response shocked many. As an alternative of specializing in the Champions League or Dembele’s treble-winning season, the La Liga president prompt one thing fully completely different.
“If he had been older than 23, he would have received it, too, I’m positive,” the 63-year-old informed reporters. “However since he was youthful, they gave him the opposite one [Kopa Trophy]. If he continues on the degree he’s at, which appears doubtless, I believe there’s little question he’ll win the Ballon d’Or.”
It was an uncommon strategy to body the result: not about trophies, statistics, or performances, however about age. Tebas primarily argued that Yamal’s youth labored towards him when voters made their determination.
