Lamine Yamal is only 18 years old and yet is considered one of the best players in the world. The Spanish teenager is a star at FC Barcelona and has received a lot of praise for his performances.
Last season was his best with Barcelona, following his win with the Spanish national team in the European Championship last summer. Yamal and Barcelona won all major trophies in Spain and reached the Champions League semifinal, the club's first since 2019.
Yamal is nominated for the Ballon d'Or award this year and is one of the favorites to win the prestigious award.
Ahead of the World Cup qualifiers with Spain, Yamal was asked about the Ballon d'Or award, and the teenager did not shy away from his desire to win the prestigious award later this month.
Lamine Yamal on the Ballon d'Or
In an interview with COPE, Yamal was expressive when thinking about being nominated for the Ballon d'Or at such a young age. He acknowledged that many players' dream is to win the award and is excited to potentially win it.
Lamine Yamal: "Ballon d'Or? Well obviously, in the end, every player, if someone tells you otherwise, they’re lying, wants to win it. And to already be in the conversation at 18 years old, I think it’s something that has to be valued, and hopefully, hopefully it happens."
Yamal is not the only player from FC Barcelona to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or. Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Pedri are nominated for the award.
Raphinha and Pedri are among the heavy favorites to also win the Ballon d'Or award. The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony will be shown on Monday, September 22, 2025.