Lamine Yamal reacts with surprising maturity after losing Ballon d’Or to Dembele

Vishal Bhawani

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Lamine Yamal reacts with surprising maturity after losing Ballon d’Or to Dembele image

Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal has shown wisdom beyond his years after missing out on the Ballon d’Or.

The 18-year-old finished second to Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele, who lifted the golden trophy following a treble-winning season with the French giants.

Yamal was widely tipped as a favorite after a remarkable campaign with Barcelona.

He played 55 games across all competitions last season, scoring 18 goals and assisting 25 times. Those numbers helped Barca secure La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup.

But Dembele’s Champions League heroics and superior goal tally reportedly gave him the edge with voters.

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Calm words by Lamine Yamal despite family frustration

While Yamal’s father called the decision “moral damage” and described the outcome as “strange,” the youngster chose a calmer approach.

A day after the Paris ceremony, Yamal posted on Instagram: “God’s plan is perfect, you have to climb to get to the top. Happy for the Kopa trophy x2 and congratulate @o.dembele7 for the award and the great season.”

The forward was also seen hugging Dembele on stage moments after the PSG star was announced as the winner.

He did not leave empty-handed, collecting the Kopa Trophy for the second straight year as the world’s best player under 21.

Yamal told reporters, “It’s an honor to be here again. I want to thank Barcelona, the national team, my family, and my teammates.”

When asked if he was ready to win the Ballon d’Or next year, he smiled and said, “Maybe we’ll see each other later.”

Despite the disappointment, Yamal has already started the new season strongly, with two goals and three assists in Barcelona’s opening La Liga matches.

He is, however, a doubt for the next game against Oviedo due to a minor groin issue.

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Vishal Bhawani

Vishal Bhawani is a sub-editor for the Affiliate Content team and a writer and sub-editor for the Football Wires team at The Sporting News. Based in Indore, India, he holds a Diploma in Operations and Management from Maharashtra University.

Before joining TSN in May 2024, Vishal contributed to Football Express and Six Sports and ran his own blog, Anfield Home, as a passionate Liverpool fan. An avid traveler, he follows multiple sports, including cricket, soccer, and tennis.