Lamine Yamal’s father has questioned the outcome of the 2025 Ballon d’Or after Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele was named the winner ahead of his son.
Dembele, who scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists as PSG won a treble last season, claimed the award on Monday night in Paris. Barcelona’s 18-year-old star Yamal finished second despite recording 18 goals and 25 assists to help Barca win LaLiga.
Speaking to Spanish reporters after the event, Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, said he believed his son should have won.
“I wouldn’t say it was theft,” he said. “But it’s moral harm to a human being. Lamine is the best player in the world, by far. Not because he is my son, but because he has no rival. Something very strange happened here. Next year, he will be the Spanish Ballon d’Or winner.”
While his father expressed disappointment, Yamal himself was gracious in defeat. The teenager congratulated Dembele with a hug and accepted the Kopa Trophy for Young Player of the Year.
Dembele’s victory was not close, according to Vincent Garcia, director of France Football, which oversees the award. “There was no match. Ousmane won it by a wide margin. On all continents, Dembele’s Ballon d’Or is clear and unambiguous,” Garcia said.
Other notable mentions on the night included Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who finished fourth, and five British players — Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Harry Kane, and Scott McTominay — who made the top 30.
In the women’s category, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati won her third consecutive Ballon d’Or, finishing ahead of Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey and England striker Alessia Russo.
