Yamal Only Denied Ballon D'Or Due To Age

LaLiga president Javier Tebas believes Lamine Yamal missed out on the Ballon d’Or due to his age but is confident the Barcelona star will win the award soon. Yamal, who turned 18 in July, finished second to Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé in the Ballon d’Or voting on Monday.

The Barcelona and Spain forward made history by becoming the only multiple-time Kopa Trophy winner, an award given to the best player under 21 years old. “Had he been older than 23, he would have won the Ballon d’Or too, I’m sure. But since he was younger, they awarded him the Kopa Trophy instead,” Tebas said, referencing Yamal’s Ballon d’Or result. In contrast, Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes the Champions League played a decisive role in the Ballon d’Or race. Dembélé, 28, scored 35 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions for treble-winners PSG, who also secured Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France as well as their first-ever Champions League trophy.

Meanwhile, Yamal scored 18 goals in 55 matches last season as Barcelona clinched LaLiga, the Spanish Supercopa, and the Copa del Rey but were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Inter Milan. While receiving the Kopa Trophy on Monday, Yamal expressed his determination to keep working towards future awards. Tebas is convinced that Yamal will lift the Ballon d’Or in the near future, stating, “If he maintains his current level, which seems likely, I have no doubt he will win the Ballon d’Or.”