Lamine Yamal reflects on the greatest disappointment of his young career

Europe Today at 05:49

Mohamed Rek

News Editor

Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal (18) looked back on his Ballon d'Or 2025 loss, which saw France's Ousmane Dembélé claim the prestigious award after a sensational season with Paris Saint-Germain.

Yamal reveals what he learned from his Ballon d'Or defeat

In a Q&A session published on his official YouTube channel, the Barcelona winger admitted that he saw himself as the winner on the night of the ceremony. In hindsight, however, he now believes that the time was not yet right for him to claim football's most prestigious individual award.

"Honestly, I thought I was going to win it that day. Looking back, I don't think it was the right moment for me to take it. I was still just a kid and probably wouldn't have been able to fully appreciate what it means to win a Ballon d'Or. We'll see if this year will be my year," said the Spain international.

Yamal also explained that this disappointment allowed him to take a step back and grow, both personally and professionally. According to him, the experience helped him mature and gave him extra motivation to keep improving.

The Barça player also expressed his delight at Ousmane Dembélé's triumph, highlighting the quality of their relationship and the respect he has for the French forward.

Currently in recovery after suffering an injury at the end of the season, Yamal hopes to be back to his best before the start of the World Cup. He is determined to earn his place in Spain's starting lineup for the opening match against Cape Verde.

LaLiga: Lamine Yamal named best player of the season (official)

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