Barcelona fans were left divided on Monday night after teenage sensation Lamine Yamal narrowly missed out on the 2025 Ballon d’Or, with the prestigious award instead going to Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele. The outcome sparked a wave of emotions among the Blaugrana supporters who had hoped to see their 18-year-old starlet crowned on the grand stage in Paris.
Heading into the event, Paris Saint Germain winger Ousmane Dembele was the bookies’ favorite to lift the prestigious trophy. Meanwhile, the likes of Lamine Yamal, Mohamed Salah and Raphinha were also in the running.
Ahead of the ceremony, players who finished in 30th place up to 11th were announced, including the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Harry Kane, Desire Doue and Pedri. The Kopa Trophy was again won by Barcelona superstar Yamal, ahead of the likes of Estevao, Desire Doue, Kenan Yildiz and Joao Neves.
Manchester City star Gianluigi Donnarumma and England’s Hannah Hampton were named the best goalkeepers in the world. England manager Sarina Wiegman took home the women’s Johan Cruyff award, with Luis Enrique winning the men’s version.
As the ceremony reached its climax, the two big awards were handed out, with Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati winning the women’s award for the third year running. Meanwhile, the men’s award belonged to PSG star Dembele, who pipped Yamal to the illustrious trophy.
Barcelona fans expressed mixed emotions after Lamine Yamal missed out on the 2025 Ballon d’Or to PSG’s Dembele. While disappointed by the result, many praised the youngster for reaching such heights at just 18, hailing his journey as proof of his extraordinary talent and future promise. Softfootball have some of them put together below:
Among the wave of reactions, some supporters highlighted the remarkable contrast in Yamal’s rise, with one fan noting how the teenager is already competing at the very top while older players still struggle for consistency. @s68845192_s commented:
Bro winning something at the age of 18 while someone at 25 Is still struggling to finish in T5 How will I explain this to my grandkids.
Amid the disappointment of Yamal missing out on the Ballon d’Or, some fans chose to focus on encouragement and admiration for the youngster’s immense potential. @liya_light_ wrote:
Your talent is as boundless as your ambition, darling. What could possibly come next for such a gifted soul?
While the Ballon d’Or may have slipped away from Lamine Yamal this year, Barcelona fans still found plenty of pride in his achievements, particularly his historic back-to-back Kopa Trophy wins. Many supporters took to social media to share their excitement and optimism for the teenager’s future. @Decsondeco4 wrote:
Back 2 Back Kopa Trophy first player to ever do it. Ballon d’Or next year inshallah.
@DapoFTSY added:
My boy, more Kopa trophy than anybody in the world, i will take that. A win in my book.
Some Barcelona fans didn’t hide their frustration after Lamine Yamal narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or, though many quickly turned the disappointment into pride. For them, the teenager’s rise at just 18 is already a story worth celebrating. @Slixylol commented:
We got robbed but doesn’t matter. He’s 18 and already one of the best in the world.
As the dust settled on the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, fans weighed in on the outcome that saw Ousmane Dembélé crowned after his pivotal role in PSG’s Champions League triumph. While many acknowledged Lamine Yamal’s brilliance at Barcelona, they felt his lack of European silverware left him just short. @sports99x wrote:
Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d’Or for his starring role in PSG’s historic Champions League triumph, blending assists with crucial goals. Lamine Yamal dazzled at Barcelona but lacked European success, finishing second.
After the ceremony, some supporters shared advice rather than frustration, stressing what Lamine Yamal must do to eventually lift football’s biggest individual prize. @Ernyblinkz wrote:
For him to win the Ballon d’Or, he needs to be calm, do the talking on the pitch, be decisive & humble.
The outcome of last night Award has reignited debate over the Ballon d’Or voting process, with many Barcelona supporters and the wider Catalan community firmly believing that Yamal, after a remarkable campaign, should have claimed the sport’s most prestigious individual honour over Dembele. Emotions continue to run high as the football world reacts to the announcement.
