The 2025 Golden Ballon ceremony in Paris crowns Ousmane dembélé for best player in the world, but it was the prodigy of Barcelona Lamine Yamal who captured hearts with his unforgettable reaction.
While the name of Dembélé was announced at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Yamal immediately got up, smiled widely and applauded with enthusiasm for his teammate. The seventeen year old then he warmly embraced dembélé, a gesture that quickly became viral and aroused widespread praise online. Fans have applauded Yamal’s maturity, professionalism and sportiness, noting how rare these reactions are at the highest level of football.
Although Yamal has just lost the highest prize taking home the silver ball, he did not leave empty -handed. For the second consecutive year, he claimed Kopa Trophy, assigned to the best U21 player in the world.
His numbers of the 2024/25 season were extraordinary: 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 games, helping Barcelona to guarantee a triple of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
In the meantime, Dembélé, he moved to tears while receiving the trophy from Ronaldinho, dedicated his victory to both Barcelona and Lionel Messi, crediting the Argentine legend for having modeled his career.
Despite his second place, Yamal’s future seems incredibly bright. Already offering extraordinary performances for Spain and Barcelona even before turning 18 is widely seen as a future winner of the Ballon d’Or. As a fan wrote, “With this attitude and talent, it’s just a matter of time before Yamal raises the golden ball.”
Sources: K14
