Ballon d'Or: Lamine Yamal opens up about Ousmane Dembélé

Just days before the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony, Lamine Yamal looked back on Ousmane Dembélé's triumph last year.

The 2025 Ballon d'Or had only two favourites. They were Lamine Yamal (19 years old, 45 matches and 24 goals in all competitions during the 2025-2026 season), who enjoyed a superb season with FC Barcelona, and Ousmane Dembélé (29 years old, 40 matches and 20 goals in all competitions during the 2025-2026 season). That is not the case this year. Having been beaten last year, Lamine Yamal believes that Dembélé deserved to win the most prestigious individual award.

"It was my second ceremony, and being there with a chance of beating Ousmane was already a dream for me. Well, in the end, he won, but I took it well. He deserved it; he had an incredible season, with his Champions League victory, and I was happy for him. (...) Did I feel frustrated? No, I see it as an achievement. I finished second at 18. It also helps me push myself further. I'm a player who always wants to win, and not finishing first helps you give everything the following year to finish first, and the year after that, and again after that... I never experienced it as frustration," the Blaugrana winger told L'Équipe.

Read also: 2026 Ballon d'Or: Lamine Yamal discusses the criteria for winning the trophy

Joshua SOSSOU

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As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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