La Liga President Makes Bold Claim Regarding Lamine Yamal Ballon d’Or Snub

The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony has come and gone, but the dust continues to settle on who should have walked away with the men’s top prize.

Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé captured his first award after never previously being shortlisted for the honor. Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal finished second, though he won the Kopa Trophy for the second year running, given to the best player under the age of 21. Yamal became not only the first player to win the award twice, but in consecutive years as well.

Javier Tebas, the La Liga president, believes Yamal was snubbed for the Ballon d’Or simply because of his age.

Tebas: Age Played a Role in Ballon d’Or

“If [Yamal] had been older than 23, he would have won it too, I’m sure, but since he was younger, they gave him the other one. If he continues at the level he’s at, which it seems he’s going to continue, I think there’s no doubt he’ll win the Ballon d’Or [in the future],” Tebas said at the Expansión & Marca Business Sport Forum in Madrid.

Both players had won their respective domestic leagues, but PSG’s Champions League triumph likely played a part in voters’ minds. Diving deeper, Dembélé was also top scorer in Ligue 1 with 19 goals whereas Yamal finished the season with 18 goals in all competitions. Across 51 total goal contributions, Dembélé was only outscored by Kylian Mbappé and Robert Lewandowski last season in terms of non-penalty goals.

Yamal congratulated Dembélé after the ceremony on Instagram for winning and a “great season.”

Yamal remains an early favorite to win the award in 2026 alongside other top stars across the world. Continued domestic success under Hansi Flick at Barcelona coupled with challenging for the Champions League, plus Spain being in a position to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, puts Yamal in strong contention as long as he keeps up his form, fitness and the trophies follow.

If Yamal was to win the award next year, he still would become the youngest recipient in its storied history. And, he will still be eligible for another Kopa Trophy.