Ballon d’Or/ Javier Tebas: "Lamine Yamal didn't win because of his age" | OneFootball

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Ballon d’Or/ Javier Tebas: "Lamine Yamal didn't win because of his age" | OneFootball

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·24 September 2025

Ballon d’Or/ Javier Tebas: "Lamine Yamal didn't win because of his age"

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Ballon d’Or/ Javier Tebas: "Lamine Yamal didn't win because of his age"

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Lamine Yamal’s second-place finish at the 2025 Ballon d’Or continues to spark reactions. This time, it’s the president of La Liga who has weighed in.

At just 18 years old, the FC Barcelona prodigy has dazzled the football world to the point of being considered one of the leading favorites. La Liga president Javier Tebas also believes Yamal deserved the trophy. According to him, only Yamal’s young age tipped the balance:

If he had been over 23, he probably would have won it. But since he was younger, he was given second place and the Kopa Trophy.

Looking confidently to the future, Tebas already sees Yamal as a future winner:

If he keeps up this momentum—and all signs point to that—there’s no doubt he’ll win the Ballon d’Or one day.

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