Official: Lamine Yamal finishes second in 2025 Ballon d’Or as Dembele wins; Raphinha 5th | OneFootball

It was not to be for FC Barcelona rising superstar Lamine Yamal at Theatre du Chatelet today as he came in second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, with PSG’s Ousmane Dembele taking home the golden orb.

The race was always between the 18-year-old Barcelona prodigy and his former teammate, but in the end, the PSG treble-winner emerged triumphant at the gala.

Lamine was key to Barcelona’s La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup triumph, while he also helped Spain finish runners-up at the UEFA Nations League during the summer.

The 18-year-old dazzled everyone with his performance, no matter how big the stage, but in the end, Dembele’s Champions League with PSG seemingly ended up giving him the edge.

Nonetheless, finishing second in the Ballon d’Or rankings, at the tender age of 18, is an exceptional achievement, with Lamine improving on his eighth-place finish from last year.

While he might have missed out on the top prize this year, this is only the start for Lamine, and we will see him at the Theatre du Chatelet with the golden orb in the future.

Meanwhile, Lamine’s teammate, Raphinha, has secured a fifth-place finish in the Ballon d’Or rankings.

The Brazilian international was one of the leaders of the Barça team that won the domestic treble last season and made a strong case for a podium finish, if not for the top spot.

However, he ends up finishing fifth, behind Dembele, Lamine, Vitinha of PSG, and Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah.